Of Friends and Scorpions
by ShellCottage
Summary: Rose Weasley detested Scorpius Malfoy, he had taken her best friend away from her, and she couldn't forgive him. And Scorpius Malfoy detested Rose Weasley, she had teased him and made him love her without his consent, and he couldn't forgive her. And then destiny and magic happened.
1. Chapter 1: The Indomitable Lightness of

Chapter 1: The Indomitable Lightness of Friendships

The very first time anyone made me look at his direction was my dad. Granted, I was a little curious since the day my mum told me Draco Malfoy (the eternal enemy from my parents' childhood) had a boy my age who was starting Hogwarts at the same time. But the very first time I laid eyes on him, I was eleven, and my dad kept pushing me into being the very best and beat him at every subject.

I thought he was dreamy. As dreamy as a snooty 11 year old can be. And yet, I was instantly drawn to him with his grey eyes, and his wicked smile, and that pale blond hair. I spent almost all of first year trying to be close to him, not as friends, but as rivals, as my dad would faint by the mere mention of Scorpius and I being friends. But it turns out, Ravenclaw and Slytherin are not destined to be friends, as he kept shoving me in the hallways and ignoring me in the couple classes we had together.

That's why at the age of 12, I decided it was not worth my time and started hating him from the bottom of my heart.

Albus of course stuck with me since day one, his hatred was the only one that remotely matched mine for Scorpius. He was a Gryffindor without a doubt, but that didn't mean we would get separated. We were best friends and best cousins since we were two. We got into so much trouble every other day that mum and dad and Uncle Harry decided that the best form of punishment was to keep us away from each other for a couple days to calm down. It worked as we grew older, and eventually our meetings for mayhem became meetings to talk about anything. James sometimes came with us to our secret meetings and told us everything there was to know about Hogwarts until we saw it with our own eyes. And then we took Hugo and Lily with us so we could tell them about Hogwarts ourselves.

Even though we have plenty of cousins, Albus and I were always the best friends ever. And as we entered different houses at Hogwarts we were the pioneers in inter house relationships as we would sit down together in class and at meals. Slowly over the years, the houses had been a little more relaxed as to who they befriended and now you can see people from every house sitting together at meals. The only time we actually sit in our respective tables are at the banquets at the beginning and at the end of the year.

And yet, teachers loved to pair Albus with Scorpius as often as could be. I knew for a fact that Albus was grossed out by Scorpius not because his background or his family name, but simply by the mere coincidence that both of them excelled in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and could not bare the other one being as good as he was. Silly, I know. But at 11 that was our biggest concern.

And then it happened. By a miracle in year four, Albus decided he and Scorpius were friends and that was that. Of course it was not at all well seen within the Weasley/ Potter clan, for the exception of Uncle Harry which I suspect wanted this to happen since the very beginning. The story was simple, but it was effective in Albus's heart as he and Scorpius became inseparable since that day:

It all started in a Care for Magical Creatures class in early October, as always, Scorpius and Albus were paired together to work with some Snifflers by Uncle Hagrid. (He later confessed he liked watching Albus and Scorpius trying to get along for the sake of avoiding a detention). But this time detention was not big enough a punishment from preventing what happened. Scorpius let loose the Sniffler as Albus was holding some gold coins Uncle Hagrid had given him to hide away, and the Sniffler almost broke Albus's arm as he threw himself at him. Albus thought at first it had been an accident, but Scorpius started laughing uncontrollably and teasing Albus about being covered in mud. Albus got the Sniffler out of the way and punched Scorpius hard on the lip, he stopped laughing immediately, and kicked Albus on the gut. Uncle Hagrid rushed in as the two teenagers were rolling on the floor one on top of the other throwing punches at each other. He roared "DETENTION!" at the top of his lungs before grabbing them by the shirt collar and lifting them in the air to separate them. They both looked ashamed after that and ignored the other until dinner. I remember Albus telling me that night that the only reason he got so mad was because Malfoy was making such a fuss in Uncle Hagrid's class, his favorite uncle.

Albus went to his detention with Scorpius at 7 that night, and when he came back he was Scorpius's best friend. He told me they were assigned to feed the Therestrals in a clearing of the Forbidden Forest with Uncle Hagrid petting them. But in the middle of it, Uncle Hagrid left them with a very old Fang as he came back to his hut to get the kettle of water for the tea out of the fire. Two minutes of awkwardness had passed of them throwing pieces of raw meat at the nothingness of the Forbidden Forest as they couldn't see the Therestrals, when a noise to Albus's right caught their attention. Fang retreated behind Malfoy's legs and started to whine. They both took out their wands, but as they pointed their lights toward the sound, a terrible image was displayed before their eyes. There, entering the clearing they were standing in, were more than a thousand tiny little spiders making their way towards them. Albus told me he screamed (that was our kind of relationship in which he doesn't hide anything away from me), and dropped his wand in the grass. But as Malfoy's wand was still pointing to the tiny spiders, something horrid stepped in the clearing making them petrified to the spot. A much more larger spider with furry legs and multiple red eyes came running to their direction, moving its pincers in a really menacing way. Albus dropped to the floor, almost too scared to move, but Scorpius kept his grip firmly towards the gigantic spider. And then the spider pounced onto Albus's body in the floor, pinning him there to the grass and leaning its enormous head to his face. Albus looked Scorpius's way to beg for help, but Malfoy was indisposed as he too was pinned to the grass by another monster of a spider. Albus started to scream in horror, realizing his wand was still two feet away from him and out of his reach, Fang started to bark. And then everything was red, standing above him was Scorpius, having stupefied his own spider and then making his way into stupefying Albus's too. And as both teenagers stood in the clearing terrified to the bone, Uncle Hagrid came running in.

Malfoy didn't mock the way Albus reacted to the spiders, and as he told Uncle Hagrid what had happened he made Albus part of the action instead of the victim. And as they returned to the hut shivering, Fang leading the way, Albus told Scorpius he has always been afraid of spiders, and then Scorpius told him he was afraid of Doxys. Both of them smiled and kept walking in silence.

Naturally, everyone in the school had heard the rumor of Scorpius and Albus fighting not one, but two humongous spiders by breakfast and as people starting asking questions, Albus and Scorpius joined forces and exaggerated the story to the point it wasn't even possible anymore, but became the school heroes for two weeks nonetheless. The truth is I was not there when it happened, I got the true version from Albus a couple days later, and the green monster of jealousy started to roam within my guts. It wasn't until I saw them laughing in the hallway a week later that it hit me. I was no longer Albus's best friend, and I had been replaced with a male friend who wouldn't nag him when he didn't study for a test. I started to back away from them both, only nodding in their general direction at the Great Hall, and talking to Albus just when he talked to me first. Our relationship started to deteriorate slowly, until May of that same year when we finally stopped talking at all. I had thought at the time that we would go back home and go back to normal, but it didn't. He went to stay with the Malfoys for the summer, and came back only a week before school for the Potters yearly trip.

Fifth year was the tomb for our friendship, he continued to ignored me, and I became friends with other people. Kevin McMillan entered the picture, or more accurately I came into his and we became boyfriend and girlfriend. The story is quite pathetic, actually, but it turns out everything in Rose Weasley's life is pathetic.

It was almost Christmas break of our fifth year, and the Ravenclaw common room was packed with those annoying mistletoes that the Scamander twins are always setting up. I was there in the huge couch by the fire reading the Quidditch book dad gave me in the summer. He was going to quiz me the minute I got home, I just knew it, so I had a lot of Quidditch reading to catch up with. And then Kevin sat down beside me removing his shoes by the fire. He was a sixth year and what I heard about him was that he was incredibly talented in Charms, but apart from that, I didn't knew him.

"It is best to warm your feet like this, see. After spending so much time out there in the snow at practice, the best way to warm up is to put them up to the fire like this." he said.

I hadn't notice before that he had his Ravenclaw Quidditch uniform on and the other players on the team were starting to sit down by the fire beside him. I felt uncomfortable right away.

"Ehm.." I said, lifting my book a little bit so I could bury my face in it again.

"Is that the Chudley Cannons Trajectory? Don't tell me it's a first edition? I have been trying to persuade my dad to buy it for me since the summer. Are you a huge fan?" he sprouted all those questions to me in an excited ranter.

And before I could answer, some other Quidditch player sat down beside him, making him scoot over to my direction even more. Now our shoulders were touching and I could feel my face go red. He looked at me in a funny way and then he smiled.

"My dad is.." I said, turning to the book again, my voice fading.

I was so shy talking to boys in general, girls were all right, I had girl friends, but boys were the issue. Growing up with so many cousins, many of them male, made worrying about the opposite sex completely out of the question. You don't have to worry about love or sex when all of your male friends happen to be your cousins. But talking to boys that are not related to me, that always made me cringe.

He left me alone. I kept reading right there in the middle of what turned out to be a Quidditch meeting by the fire, and he kept sitting there touching my shoulder. And then without noticing, I started to listen to their conversation, and then without warning somebody tossed a mistletoe to Kevin McMillan.

"For good luck" another guy in the Ravenclaw team said to him.

"It's not gonna happen. Forget about Lauren." another one shouted. Lauren was a Hufflepuff girl my year.

"Lauren is already forgotten. She was a real pain in the ass. She wanted me to take her to Madam Puddifoot's every weekend. She wanted me to pay too, and we were not even going out." Kevin explained.

All the boys started howling muttering their condolences. (As all the Ravenclaw Quidditch team are boys. Why hadn't I notice before?)

"What are you going to do with it, then?" the first boy said.

"Just kiss the prettiest girl in the room with it and run for it, mate. That's what I'll do." the second boy, Jared Williams, I recognised then, said.

Kevin sat there without saying anything for a while, maybe 30 seconds or such, and as the boys were drifting their attention to someplace else, he turned around and faced me.

"Maybe I will" he said. And then leaned in and kissed me. On the lips. With tongue. I had never been kissed before, and I was extremely mad at the time. I heard the boys howling and cheering and I didn't quite understood what had happened until Kevin separated his lips from mine and smirked at me.

My face must have been a mess, as he changed his smirk right the next second with worried eyes, in fact, I hadn't seen a face made with such worry again as Kevin's was. I felt some tears spilled my eyes, and I kept shouting at my brain: _Why are you crying, you moron. Slap him, be mad. Don't cry._

But even then, I could tell my tears were not going to stop. I was too embarrassed, too worried, and too mad about my first kiss being stolen by this complete stranger. I just shot my book as hard as I could and stormed out of the room into the girl's dormitories. Jared shouted, "where are you going, baby?" as I stormed out.

The next morning, Kevin was there waiting for me. I ignored him, too embarrassed to even look at him, but he kept following me to the Great Hall to eat breakfast. He sat down beside me at the large table, and then packed his plate with eggs and sausage sipping his pumpkin juice. He was annoying me. I couldn't eat or read the stupid book in peace. But as the meal continued I started to feel more at ease with him there, until by the end of my dish, I realized I didn't hate him or anything, and in fact that was a pretty amazing kiss.

"You shouldn't have kissed me." I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry." he said, leaving his fork down and looking rather sheepishly. "I didn't know your would cry."

"I cried because that...that was.." I felt myself blush, and Kevin smiled at me in a tender manner. "my first kiss."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know" he said. We continued breakfast for a couple minutes, and then he looked up from his plate and said as shy as I was, "But you still look too damn cute when you blush."

And that was it. I was completely enamoured with him from that point onwards. We went to Hogsmeade for two weekends in a row (not to Madam Puddifoot's, even though he suggested it) before he asked me properly to be his girl. He was my first kiss, and he was the first boy to felt me up. But as the months passed, the love started to fade away. And then one day in early May he dumped me. Or more like we dumped each other. I was too busy with my O.W.L.S and he was busy with Quidditch and at the end we didn't actually loved each other. So we said goodbye.

Albus didn't find out I had a boyfriend. In fact, the only one who ever found out of my cousins was James, as he saw us kissed at an empty classroom some time in January. But he didn't say a thing.

My relationship with Albus was as good as dead. I had drifted away from my girl friends when I became Kevin's girl. And then Kevin had broken up with me. So I was pretty much as lonely as a dog could be. It served me perfectly as I had to study for my O.W.L.s. Outstanding in every single one. McGonagall even congratulated me in her Charms class after it, saying the only witch or wizard to have ever done so well was my mother, and that she should be proud.

But O.W.L.s finished and there were two weeks before summer break to live through. I was starting to regret pushing everyone away. And then a Saturday about eight o'clock at night, as I made my way back from the library, some long fingers covered my mouth and shove me into an empty classroom. It was pitch black in the room, and as I thrashed around, I heard somebody whispering my name in front of me.

"Lumos" the voice said, igniting the tip of his wand and revealing Albus Potter inches away from my face. I thrashed a little more, and tried to scream or say something, but that hand kept restraining my mouth and my body.

"Fucking hell, Weasley. Stop moving, you're elbowing me on the ribs" my head snapped to the voice in question, finding Scorpius bloody Malfoy there behind me, restraining me and grabbing my waist.

I elbowed him again as hard as I could and he let go of me, cursing at me and massaging his ribs.

"Don't ever touch me again, you prat!" I shrieked. Albus covered my mouth then, and put his index finger between his lips, motioning me to kept quiet.

"Alright, alright!" I whispered hitting his hand out of the way. "What are you two idiots doing in the middle of the night!" I whispered violently.

I hadn't noticed until that moment that I was mad at Albus. No, I was furious, I wanted to punch him in the gut, I wanted to leg-lock him and leave him in a ditch to rot. I hadn't noticed until that very instant that I was hurt because he had left me to spend all his fucking precious time with Scorpius bloody Malfoy.

"We need your help, Rosie. You are not going to believe this." he said smirking at me. Malfoy smirking as wide as he was.


	2. Chapter 2: The Madness Within

Chapter 2: The Madness Within

I remembered why I always avoided her as I watched her inspecting the wooden box. It was perfectly true that I don't remember when it all started, but I can precisely say when I fell in love with her.

We were 11 and she was eating lunch at the Great Hall looking expectantly at one of her many cousins. Later I found out it was James Potter. But James was fooling around with his friends, and ignored her completely. It didn't help she is a Ravenclaw and apparently had no friends at the time. I have never met anyone with such a transparent face as Rose's. She looked extremely disappointed with James's response, but then her face turned to a determined grin and stood up. She grabbed her plate form the table and walked over to where James and his friends were having lunch. She just waved and sat down right beside him.

I remember thinking at the time how valiant and daring she was. Even though she had a cute blush spreading all over her cheeks, she managed to sit down with them, and then laugh at their jokes. It was quite simple, I guess I admired her from that very moment, that's why I fell in love with her.

I just don't remember when I started avoiding her. After that incident when I accidentally fell in love with her, she started following me around. She sat down near me in the few classes we had together, and she kept looking at my direction whenever she could. She even tried to approached me in the hallways once or twice. But I was young and stupid and afraid of her because she was a girl. And then I remembered my father's snarl as we stood in Platform 9 ¾ waiting for the train.

He didn't said anything about them, nor didn't he even mentioned their surnames. But still I could feel the hatred he had towards them. My mother rested a hand on his shoulder and he instantly calmed down, smiling in a tender way in her direction. It was no secret though that my dad and the Weasleys were mortal enemies, and as my father tried to put all that behind him, he still resented them for everything that had happened in the war. When he drank a little Firewhiskey he used to loosen up a bit and told me stories about the war. He didn't make it sound scary or as they were the good guys. He just told me what he felt and what he thought, and even told me one time that his dad was the worst person he knew and therefor after the war he tried harder than anyone else to be a good wizard. He said something about atoning for others' sins.

I knew he would be disappointed in me befriending a Weasley, and he would flipped if I told him of all the Weasleys that could be I fell in love with Rose. I guess that's why I decided to avoid her and forget about her.

My plan worked for a little while, and then she went and grew up and developed and tortured my very soul. In fourth year she suddenly went from a flat-chested-wild-haired-cute-little thing to a well developed woman. She had breasts and full lips and freckles that complemented her perfect smile. Her legs looked lean and milky, and her hair (as wild as ever) was a darker shade of red that fell right to her hips. Many guys noticed her as well, but she just kept to herself and the girls in her dorm. Once I heard a bunch of Slytherin sixth years wolfing at her as she passed them in the hallway. But she was completely oblivious.

The truth is I was jealous as could be. Whenever I looked at her and at the many strings of guys following her around, the green monster within me wanted to march right up to her and kiss her full on the mouth. But I never did. Doing that would be suicide, not only because my father would go crazy, but Rose as well. I had ignored her for the past 4 years, and kissing her out of the blue was certainly not going to go down well with her or her many cousins for that matter.

When Albus started hanging out with me, it was almost unavoidable to see her. She was always there, saying hi to Albus or scolding him for being with me instead of studying for class. Albus was always embarrassed after that, but I could see he was glad she was worried about him. He later told me she was the only true friend he had, and he worried about her not getting along with people. He said as long as she scolded him, he knew she was alright.

It was then I decided I couldn't go on like this. And Ana Zabini came along. She had had a crush on me since we were first years, but I was never interested. She had light-brown skin, golden hair and pretty green eyes. She had a narrow waist and long legs, which made her almost my height.

We started going out in April of our fourth year. I came up to her one Saturday morning and asked her if we could go together to Hogsmeade, that there was something I wanted to ask her.

"Sure," she said, blushing slightly and getting her jacket on.

We walked through the castle in silence. We saw Albus in the Great Hall, and he motioned for me to join him to go to Hogsmeade. I pointed with my eyes to Ana, and he immediately understood, smirking and mouthing _good luck_. I guess that's why I was friends with him. He was the best person I had ever met. He was good, and I liked good people. It reminded me of my father, and his struggle to aton.

Once I wrote to my father narrating him what had happened in the Forbidden Forest, and telling him how I thought Albus was the best person here, and how after all those years of teasing him I felt responsible of him, as if I had the entire fault for all the disgraces that happened to him. He wrote back a two line response: _I'm glad I've raised you well. Don't ever follow my mistakes._

Ana and I got into Hogsmeade and then I realised I didn't know where to take her. I had never been there with a date before, and as Ana was mostly a nail to get the other nail out of the way I didn't even care to plan the date in advance.

"Where-" I started asking Ana. And then I saw her looking towards the Three Broomsticks. "Wanna go grab a butterbeer?"

"Oh, yes! I've been dying for one. I hadn't come to Hogsmeade all year, I spent all my weekends studying in the stupid Library." she said, squealing almost like a little girl.

"How come?"

"My mum said if I didn't get a good note this year I couldn't go with them to Romania. It's sort of a family thing." she answered entering the Three Broomsticks.

I grabbed us two butterbeers for the bar, and went and sat down in a corner looking through a window. She kept talking to me about her family vacations and how she was dying to see dragons. But as the conversation grew longer, I started to doubt my resolve, I was getting bored. After an hour and a half, she shut up.

She looked at me with sparkling eyes, and asked me: "What was you wanted to talked about?"

"Well," I began, not knowing yet if it was worth it. "you know how you have always liked me?"

"I-that-tha-that's-who told you-I don't know-" she muttered blushing a violent shade of red.

"Come on, Ana, I've seen the way you look at me. And I have heard the girls our year giggling whenever you talk to me." I said, matter of factly.

"I-you-you..shouldn't have found out." she said pathetically.

"Oh but I did. Since day one I knew it. Anyway, that doesn't matter. Just go out with me, I'm willing to try something with you." I said, mechanically grabbing her hand.

"Oh, Scorpius, that is wonderful!" She blushed even further and squeezed my hand a little harder.

Since that day we where an item. But I have to say I regretted it the moment I said those words to her. She tried to follow me, and to sit down beside me in class. Albus tried to give us some space, but I had to continually turn Ana down and went to sit with Albus. We kissed at the common room for the first time. Actually, she kissed me.

I was doing an essay for potions, and had all my books spreaded in the table near the window. We were almost in summer break, and as I had left my homework to the very last day, I was the only one actually working.

She came by and started chatting away at her leisure. I wasn't even paying attention, I was trying to finish my essay, and she kept bugging me and hugging me, and very well almost throwing herself at me while I was trying to write. It pissed me off.

"Would you just stop!" I roared. She immediately backed away and looked apologetically.

I continued my essay in silence, and after awhile she started talking again, this time slowly and just above a whisper.

"If you paid me more attention once in awhile I wouldn't try to talk to you while you work, now would I?"

"Just shut it for a little while, ok? I'm almost finished." I said the anger audible in my voice.

"Oh, you always say that. And you know what, I'm starting to think you don't even like me. We have been together for two months now and you haven't even kissed me!"

"You want me to kiss you? Is that it?" I said, not looking up from my parchment.

"Yes! That's what couples do!"

"You'll leave me to my homework if I kiss you?"

"Yes, whatever!"

I looked up to her to get it done, but before I could even assess the situation, she lounged onto me, throwing me off my chair, kissing me hard on the mouth. I tasted blood and my ears were ringing. And as I pushed her away, and the ringing subsided, I heard laughter from the whole common room directed at our shapes in the green carpeted floor.

"Ana, for fuck's sake, calm down!" I snarled, getting to my feet, and collecting my stuff from the table. I rushed to the Library, not looking back.

I avoided her for the last couple days, and then at summer break I owled her that it was over. Albus was in hysterics the whole time I was telling him what had happened. And then he asked me why I went out with Ana in the first place if I didn't even liked her. I couldn't tell him I was trying to get over Rose, so I said the very thing that came into my mind: "I don't know, sex I guess" And that wasn't really smart either as he kept teasing me all summer about me being a wanker.

Fifth year was better. She wasn't speaking to Albus anymore (she started being the subject of many conversations I had with Albus since he was terribly worried about her), and guys started to drift their attention seeing she was not going to lead them on on their fantasies. So being single suited me perfectly as in my mind no one could match up to Rose and I could control myself now in her presence.

Albus and I started mayhem that year. One of my favorite pranks of the year was when we conjured up an ink stain that was unremovable from all of Filch's documents. He spent two months trying to get them out, until a seventh year helped him out of pity. Even Peeves took part in that one, he kept leaving Filch's office open so we could get in and enchant every piece of parchment we could think of. It was all bliss and paradise, my life was extremely comfortable.

That was until January of that year. We had just returned to Hogwarts from Christmas break, and I was on my way to the Great Hall from the dungeons to eat lunch. Albus and I hadn't seen each other yet, and I was planning what to have for lunch when I heard a laugh in one of the class rooms. I saw James Potter peeking into it, and then making a scowl and storming out of there. More laughter was audible from within the classroom after he left. The curiosity took the better of me, and went and peeked inside as well.

I froze. It was one of my worst nightmares coming true. I saw my precious Rose in the arms of another Ravenclaw boy, he was sucking her face, and she had her fingers interwoven in his sandy hair. I was furious, filling up with rage. I was about to intervene, ready to hit the fuckface in the gut. But I stopped myself, this was exactly why I needed to go away, as fast as I could. I ran all the way to the Great Hall, trying to calm down but rendering it useless as the image of my Rose kissing somebody else was too much to bare.

"Oi, mate," Albus said as soon as he saw me. "What's the matter?"

"Listen to me, you and I are going to hunt." I said, my eyes resolved and my heart aching.

"Hunt, what are you talking about?" he was eating Treacle Tart, his fork stopping midway to his mouth.

"Sex, my friend. We are having sex this semester!"

That's how Tess Williams came into my life. We saw her sitting across Fred Weasley at the Gryffindor table, and Albus just said: "Well, she is an interesting choice."

It took me all of two minutes to ask her out. She was easy going and interesting to chat to. We didn't have much in common, but for the relationship's sake, we kept our opinions to each other. We got together to snog, to chat for a little while and then we both continued our way. There were no messes: she talked, I made as if I was listening, we made out for some minutes, and that was that.

Albus had no such luck. He started a little game with one of the Scamander twins. He would chase after her, and she would ignore him, and when he finally got an answer, she would peck him on the lips and ignored him some more.

But now, as I saw Rose standing two paces away from me, I felt my heart pound and my ears ring. She was there, scolding to the both of us, inspecting the wooden box, the moonlight rested on her pretty face, milking her skin even more, and shining in her blue eyes.

"Where did you got this?" she asked Albus.

"It was laying in the Room of Requirement. We wanted to get the Skiving Snacks Uncle Neville confiscated from us earlier this year, and we just stumbled into it." Albus smiled at her.

"What do you want me for? It is clearly an old wand someone just discarded." she said, wearily.

"We thought so too at the beginning. But look closely at the lid. It has the same Runes that were in the tomb Albus showed me at Christmas at his house." I said, liking slightly the way Rose cringed when she hears my voice.

"Albus, you know that can't be true. Uncle Harry…"

"Look, Rosie, I don't know what to think, dad said he was the owner, and that it was hidden away so it could make no more damage. But the Runes, look at them."

"If it is what you think, then this is some dangerous object, Albus, you shouldn't have it with you. You should take it right to McGonagall." she said, worrying spreading through her transparent face.

"We tried." I intervened. "We even tried to look for information about it in the Library, but McGonagall won't listen. She said it was not possible, and that we shouldn't mess with something we didn't understand."

"Well, I'm with her in that, you morons, just take it back and forget about it."

"Just up, Weasley, we are not that stupid. We tried that too. We left it yesterday in the Room of Requirement again, and guess what, it reappeared in my bed this morning." I said.

"He told me about it and didn't believe him either," said Albus, taking the box from Rose's hands. "And then it started to do weird things whenever Scorpius was near."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked me.

"It sparked and then there was a buzzing, and then some fog. And when we tried to put it back into the Room of Requirement, it kept reappearing in my robes. It only stopped recently, when I decided we needed to find out more about it." I explained. "And after all this, I'm not so sure we are dealing with the Elder Wand."

"I don't think so either."

"I don't know. It sounds really creepy to me. Maybe we should ask Uncle Harry about it."

"Are you kidding? He is an Auror, he will make sure to destroy it the minute he sees it." Albus said. "What if it is something awesome?"

"And what if you get killed, you idiot?" Rose exclaimed.

"It is not doing anything dangerous anymore. I think we should definitely find out more about it"

"Oi, you fuckhead, if you want to get killed, be my guest, but leave my cousin out of this." Rose had a flame in her eyes, one I had never seen before.

"Rosie, we are together in this. We need your help, we want you to help us look into this. What do you say?" Albus pleaded.

I could see Rose's face change as she gradually assessed her cousin, she was trying to make up her mind, the curiosity getting the best of her.

"If I do this, we are doing it my way. And the minute I sense something is really dangerous, we stop. Got it?" She said, and then not waiting for either of us to answer: "And how are we going to do this? We are leaving Hogwarts in two days."

"Don't worry about it, Scorpius is coming to Godric's Hollow this summer. We'll think about it then."


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth of What's Hidden

**A/N: This story is getting more complicated and more complex than I initially anticipated, meaning instead of being 6 or 7 chapters, there's going to be about 13 or 14, I'll see how the story works out. But I'm liking it so far. Please review so I could get a little feedback and know if I'm doing ok. It's really hard to be writing in the dark as this is my first fanfic in a really long time. Thanks and enjoy! :)**

Chapter 3: The Truth of What's Hidden

We live 3 blocks away from the Potters. After the war Uncle Harry bought the cottage where he and his parents used to live. He rebuild it, and placed a plaque up front that read: _Here lies the Potter Cottage, where it all began. Now rebuild as the new world rises._

Mum and dad bought another cottage nearby Uncle Harry's and Aunt Ginny's once they got married. Mum used to say buying that house with my dad was one of their proudest moments as she knew they were going to be together forever. My dad used to say he was happy because mum was.

When we were little, living 3 blocks away from each other was the most wonderful experience. Albus and I just needed to run for a little bit and then we were in each other houses. I used to wake up early and run to the house where Aunt Ginny was serving breakfast, and then Albus and I would run back to mine for dinner. And it left the whole day to pull pranks and find trouble. But as Hogwarts started we secluded ourselves in the forest behind Uncle Harry's house. It wasn't exactly a forest, it was more like an accumulation of trees, but as little kids it seemed to us like a huge forest. The trees prevent some of the light to come through, and it blocks the sight from the house. It was our little private spot to talk about nothings and everythings.

But Malfoy arrived two days ago. My dad went ballistic when Uncle Harry told him Malfoy was coming to stay with them for the summer. He tried to stupefy Uncle Harry, but his aim was poor in his rage and missed. He even called Uncle Harry a traitor. Uncle Harry just stood there, until dad was calmed enough and then said to him:

"You have to understand, Ron. It is a new world, a new beginning. Malfoy is fine with Albus and Scorpius being friends. Scorpius is nothing like Malfoy was. You have to trust the kids on this one."

"If I ever see him in my house I'm gonna send him right back to yours, you hear me!" my dad said, turning around and stalking out of the room.

"Don't worry, Harry. He is going to be fine. Ron can be a little slow in accepting changes." mum reassured him.

"I know, I bet Scorpius is going to grow on him as he did on me. I was a bit weary at the beginning, but when Christmas was finished, I realised he was a good kid. A better kid than even me and Ron were back in school." Uncle Harry said, looking slightly ashamed.

I didn't understand what was wrong in this family. Everybody seemed to love Scorpius even though I loathed him. He was a prick who only cared about himself and no time together this summer was going to make me change my mind.

So that first Monday morning of the summer I woke up as grumpy as never. I had to meet Scorpius and Albus in the forest behind Uncle Harry's by 10 am. I showered and put on a pair of ripped jeans and a white t-shirt, my white chucks were heavenly after spending so much time in my uniform the past year. I checked myself in the mirror before leaving my room for breakfast. My blue eyes were wide and my freckles were as visible as ever without makeup. I usually didn't wear any in the holidays but I used a light foundation and some mascara for school. Why meeting up with Malfoy suddenly made me want to use a little make up? I ditched the idea. I was not going to get nervous. I hated the guy for Merlin's sake.

Mum and Hugo were at the kitchen table chatting about his Quidditch uniform when I entered. She was serving him toasts and scrambled eggs. In the past few months Hugo got really big, he was taller than my mum, and he was certainly taller than me now. He was close to dad's height and he was still 13.

"Good morning, Rosie. Do you want any breakfast?"

"Yes, please." I sat down beside Hugo.

"Mum, just listen, all right? I need them for next year, I can't just use the same robes anymore." Hugo continued the conversation.

"Listen, honey. Those robes are practically new, wait another year and then we'll buy you new ones." Mum said, her brows frowning a little. She hated the money subject, mostly because dad always got angry with anybody who spent money in things that were not necessary. It wasn't like we couldn't afford it, in fact we had a perfectly comfortable economic stability. And dad would still save to the last knuckle. Mum used to excuse him, as dad grew up with very little money, but she didn't anymore as it was getting ridiculous.

"But mum!" Hugo said, standing up from his stool to show mum the hem of his pants. "All my robes fit me like this, you can see my ankles!"

"Alright! Go ask your dad, maybe he'll listen as they are Quidditch things."

Hugo left the kitchen, and mum turned to me.

"Rose, you are going out? Last summer you barely went out of the house." I knew she had worried last summer, and seeing me all ready to go made her glad.

"Yes…" I didn't wanted her to know I was going to see Scorpius and Albus. I didn't wanted to admit, even to my own mother, that I was a little excited about it. Because of Albus, I think.

"To Harry's?" she asked, looking expectantly at me.

"I'll be back around dinner time, ok? So wait for me." I said instead and headed for the door. Mum just stood there, confused as to why I hadn't answered her.

On my way to Uncle Harry's my stomach started to feel funny. In the back of my mind I knew what was going on, but I was not ready to admit it yet. Firstly because I absolutely hated Scorpius, and secondly because I was terrified of my dad. I took a deep breath as I entered the house. Aunt Ginny and Lily were in the kitchen, scrubbing that morning's dishes.

"Good morning." I said. Lily waved at me with a hand covered in soap.

"Good morning, sweetie. They are already in the back." Aunt Ginny said, not turning away from the dishes. "I presume you are here to see Albus and Scorpius, right?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Rose, wait." Lily said as I was leaving the kitchen. She catched up with me in the living room.

"What's up?"

"What do you think of Scorpius?" she asked me. I felt my heart beat a little faster, and ignoring it, I made my face into a scowl.

"I don't know. He is a prat, I guess. I don't really know him, but he used to push me around and ignored me whenever I tried to be friends. I don't care about him, I guess. Why?"

"I use to think so too. But for the past two days he has been incredibly friendly, he even let me play Quidditch in the garden with them and James. And he passed me the Quaffle too. He seems nice." she said in an almost dreamy voice.

"Oh, no, Lily. Don't tell me that you like him?"

"What? No! I guess I don't. I'm just saying, maybe he is not as bad as we used to think. I'm telling you this because maybe you could go easy on him. I know how you are when you get pissed. And Albus is trying hard for us to accept him." She said, blushing.

"Fine. I trust you. I'll be careful." our conversation had carried us to the edge of the little forest.

"I have to go and meet with Hugo, now. I'll see you at dinner, aye?" Lily said, turning back to the house.

Scorpius Malfoy not being as bad as I thought? Please, I bet he was worse. He stole Albus away from me, and was as arrogant as anyone could be. I was definitely not going to give him a chance.

"Oi, Rosie" Albus called from within the forest.

They were with their backs to the grass, Malfoy snoozing a little. The sun caught his factions really well, they were angular and his arms were muscular and toned. His lips were slightly opened, and his breathing got trapped in his white t-shirt.

"So, what's the plan?" I said, kicking Malfoy slightly on the ribs.

"Ouch! Can't you be tender like a normal human being?" he snarled at me. I sat down beside him in the grass and stuck my tongue out to him.

"Like I could be tender to a bugger like you!" I said.

"Oh, real mature, Weasley, now I am a bugger, you Blast-ended Skrewt."

"Just tell us, Albus. What's the plan?" I asked again, ignoring Scorpius.

"We are going to Diagon Alley."

"I don't need to go shopping with the two of you, thank you."

"Not for shopping, you moron." Scorpius said. "Ollivander, right?"

"Exactly, I figured, who knows more about wands than Mr. Ollivander. He should know something about this wand." I hadn't notice before he had the wooden box in his hands.

"Didn't Uncle Harry ask about it?"

"I didn't let it out of my trunk, Weasley, I'm not an idiot."

"I beg to differ, Malfoy!"

"Just stop it, you two. Why are you being such asses today? Can't you just get along?" Albus said.

"Fine! I'll ignore him then!"

The Floo network in Uncle Harry's chimney connected directly to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. We stepped into the landing in Uncle George's and Aunt Angelina's flat. Fred and Roxy were there playing Wizard Chess.

"Oi, little cousins, and Scorpius. What bring you here to my humble abode." Fred said, standing to greet us.

"We are going to hang for a bit in Diagon Alley." I said, shaking the cinder off my clothes.

"Want some company? We are losing it in here."

"Oi, you wanker, I was beating you. Don't try to get away from me!" Roxy said from behind him.

Watching them together made me laugh sometimes. My dad says they act exactly like Uncle George and his twin brother used to do. But Fred is almost one foot taller and a year older than Roxy and she has a really petite frame. She is fierce and can stand up to any boy who messes with her. No doubt she learnt that from years of torture by Fred.

"It's fine, we need to take care of some errands for mum and dad anyway." Albus lied.

"Yeah, and we should be helping downstairs. But it is always such a bore. Help the clients, my mum would shout, and then dad would do some whacky experiment and make a mess. And guess who has to clean it all up?" Roxy said, looking exasperated. "Can't wait to finish Hogwarts and go and live on my own. Two more years, right?"

"One more year for me, little sis. And guess who is going to stay here and clean it up all by herself?"

"Oh I really hate you, Fred!" she said.

"Well, see you later." Albus called. We descended the stairs towards the shop. And just as Roxy had said, the place was a mess, as one of Uncle George's experiments had backfired. Aunt Angelina was frantically waving her wand to some customers covered in green goo, while Uncle George was trying to show them some other Weasley product he knew wouldn't explode like that. We didn't even bother to say hello, and went out the shop immediately.

Diagon Alley was practically deserted at that time of year. We made our way without trouble, Albus talking about the new Quidditch equipment Uncle Harry had bought for him last week. Scorpius seemed excited about it, and then I remembered that both of them played in the Quidditch team in their respective houses.

Had I ever seen Scorpius play Quidditch? There must have been an occasion in which I had seen him, but my mind couldn't recollect any memories of it. After Scorpius made quite clear in first year that he was not going to be my friend, I stopped paying attention to him. Maybe I didn't want my head to get further involved with him, or perhaps all the interesting features that I thought he had vanished as I realised he was a prick and decided to ignore him. Nevertheless, as I listened to their conversation I wished I had payed attention, so I could at least make a comment about it. I was feeling left out again, and I retreated a little bit. We were almost at Ollivander's, when Malfoy turned around to face me.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked, his disgust clearly on his face.

Albus went in the shop and through the window I could see him ringing the bell on the counter.

"What?" I asked, blushing slightly. Could it be that he saw right through me.

"You always go away like that, as if you were too important for our conversation." Malfoy scolded.

"You think you know me too well, don't you? But you don't know a thing, so shut it!" I couldn't understand why my temper was getting the best of me.

I pushed past Malfoy and went into the store. Mr. Ollivander was just coming out from behind the store. He smiled benignantly at Albus.

"Ah, Albus Potter, maple and unicorn hair 7 inches. What can I do for you, my friend." The old man said.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. We have something we found. We were wondering if you knew something about this." Albus took out the wooden box and showed it to him.

Mr. Ollivander looked quizzically at the box. He took it into his hands and turn it over studying the runes on the box. Slowly he started to open it. He gasped vaguely at the contents. He took out the wand and inspected it too.

"Elder wood and dragon heartstring. And the handy work. This is not one of mine. In fact this is quite old and quite beautiful. I have never since this kind of work, it's so detailed." the old man said, welding the wand in his hand. "It doesn't respond at all to me. Very interesting"

"What does that mean?" I asked Mr. Ollivander. He snapped his head up as if he hadn't noticed me standing there.

"Rose Weasley, ebony and phoenix hair 6 ½ inches. It's been awhile since I've saw you." he said pleasantly. "I´m afraid I don't know much about the story of this wand, but I can tell you one thing. It was specially made for someone. More likely, it was made for someone worthy. You see, it was common back in medieval times to make a wand with a curse attached to it. These kinds of wands were really rare and only were made for the most noble families. It is said that sometimes they were made to form part of a more bigger picture, as in this is the tool the wizard or witch is going to need to accomplish something else."

"So it wouldn't respond to any other than the owner, right?" Scorpius said.

"It is not quite simple, Scorpius Malfoy, beechwood and peacock feather 7 ½ inches. These were made for a special person and for a special purpose, but the magic within them is not inert. As the purpose is completed, the wand is said to passed along to the next task and to the next in line of the family. If there is no more tasks to be accomplished, then the magic within it would just fade away. That's the saying but these wands were made so long ago and for families that have intermingled with others, so almost all of them have become useless."

"Not this one." said Albus. "It got attached to us."

"Is that so?" Mr. Ollivander said, looking at it quizzically again. "Wands like this are dangerous, Mr. Potter. They are not a toy. Sometimes we forget that and get consumed in the adventure. But you have to remember, old magic is dangerous, and if this has been attached to you then you are in danger. Quests that usually required one of these wands were not simple, and more often than not went unresolved."

"How do we get rid of it?" I asked, suddenly scared.

"I'm afraid it's not possible. Once the wand has been passed on to the correct owner, the quest has begun. It's almost like the wand has its own life, and decided the owner is destined to be someone important. You have a choice in the matter: be a hero, or ignore it. It won't ever go away, waiting for the owner to continue on with the quest."

Mr. Ollivander set the wand again in its wooden box. "The only way to understand the quest is to understand where it came from. As to that I can't help you. I have never seen this runes before, and this crest is too old for me to recognise it."

He handed the box back to Albus, and made a gesture towards the door.

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander." Albus said, and then we went out from the shop.

Neither of us could talk after that, it was all a little confusing and the information we had just been giving could be true, or be completely wrong. Scorpius seemed to be thinking really hard with his brows furrowed and his fist clenched to the front of his face. We sat down at Fortescue's and order some ice cream.

"What are we going to do, then?" asked Albus.

"We can't keep it. You heard Ollivander, it's dangerous, and the quests more often than not went unresolved." I said, bleaching a little to the dangers my imagination was making me think about.

"Yes, he said that. But what if it's important? What if this is something defining?" Scorpius said.

"I don't know, Scor. If it was so important, nobody would have left it unattended in the Room of Requirement." Albus said.

Scorpius frown at his comment. And then it all clicked in my head.

"Wait! You said you stumbled over it, didn't you? And who did exactly?"

"I did." said Scorpius.

"And the wand appeared in your room, right? Not in Albus's?"

"It was in my robes actually."

"And you said that the wand was inert just after you decided you would keep it. And your family is one of the oldest and most noble of the Wizarding World. Mr. Ollivander said it would rest and be passed from generations waiting for the wizard that will continue the quest. Scorpius, I think the wand was made for you. Or at least for one of your ancestors and it wants you to continue the quest." I said to him, getting excited.

Scorpius swallowed hard, and then panic struck his features as he realised it was completely possible what I was saying was true.

"I-I have had this feeling since we found it. Like it should be with me." he said at last.

"Then it's settled. We need to define the quest, and you could do it."

"Weasley, as much as I find this interesting, I am not going to put my life in danger just to satisfy your curiosity."

"And I'm not going to sit down and let this pass. It's our chance to learn more about this, and I bet it's so much better than Hogwarts." I said, finding the Ravenclaw in me.

"If you want it so much, just take it, then." he said, shoving the wooden box to my direction.

"But it wouldn't work!" I said, shoving the box at his direction again.

"Shut up!" he didn't take it again. It rested there on the table, and we all stared at it for some minutes.

Coming back from Diagon Alley was even more dreadful than going. Malfoy and Albus were not speaking at all, and the uncomfortable silence was pressing against my head. And when we landed in the Potters' living room, Uncle Harry was there, sitting with a firewhiskey on his hand. Albus hid the wooden box behind him. He insisted I spent dinner with them, and as we waited for Aunt Ginny to finish, Albus went up to his room to store the box away.

Malfoy and I were then left alone as Aunt Ginny called Uncle Harry to the kitchen. I felt I had to apologize, but I didn't even knew about what. And as the minutes ticked by the silence between us became more pressing.

"Listen," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, as I felt my shyness making its way. "I just...I'm sorry if I offended you earlier."

"Since when do you care if I get offended?"

"I'm trying to be nice."

"Be nice to your boyfriend then, I don't care."

"What boyfriend?" I spat at him.

"The Ravenclaw boy, I bet he loves it when you are nice and cutesy with him." Scorpius said disgust in his voice.

I felt myself blush. How could he possibly know about Kevin? And why does he even care about it?

"How...did you...know?" I asked, I felt myself go scarlet.

"Oh, it was supposed to be a secret?" he said, smirking. "You didn't want your cousins to know that a boy is putting his tongue inside you? That he keeps sucking your face?"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" him saying those things were bothering me, he was pissing me off.

"Haha, is Rosie getting embarrassed? I bet he touches you. He feels you up, possibly under your shirt, over your bra. I bet he touches your pussy. doesn't he?" Scorpius said, smirking even further.

"Shut up, Malfoy! Don't say that!" my anger was spilling through my eyes, I could feel the tears running down my face. Why did it anger me so much that he would say that. I didn't even care about Kevin anymore.

"Why are you crying? Did I nailed it?"

"Kevin has not been my boyfriend for months now!" I said, holding back more tears.

His face immediately changed. He looked ashamed, and then he tried to talk again but kept shutting his mouth. And then he suddenly said: "You still love him, right?"

"No, I don't" I said, finding my voice. I didn't, I guess I never did love Kevin. It was all a schoolgirl fantasy. And yet, having Scorpius believe I would do that like that or to even having him say it in such a hurtful tone, made my heart cringe.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked, sheepishly.

 _Because I love you,_ my mind said. I just looked at him, my tears finally controlling themselves. And as I heard Albus coming down the stairs, I stood up and ran out the house. I didn't stop, or looked back until I had reached my bedroom and I was crying on top of the pillows.


	4. Chapter 4: The Corruption of Virginal Th

Chapter 4: The Corruption of the Virginal Thoughts

It had been almost a week and Weasley hadn't returned. The days in the Potter cottage went by fast and fun. I rarely admitted it, but having a brother and a sister seemed really fun. Albus, James and I kept going into the city nearby, we had to walk as Godric's Hollow was a muggle village, and seeing three boys riding broomsticks was sure to cause havoc. In the afternoons we would climb on top of the hill looking towards the big buildings and discussing how were they build. Sometimes, we would go to the pubs, one time Albus's dad took us with him into a special Auror meeting. Rose's dad was there too, but he simply ignored me the whole time. I could see were Rose's apathy came from. The meeting consisted of a bunch of drunk Aurors telling stories about work and the war. My father never took into drinking this heavily, and seeing Albus's dad laugh and drink with his mates I realised something: My father didn't have any friends.

And as sad as that was, being in the Potter cottage was ten times better than spending summer reading alone in my room in the Manor. On the first sunday I spent in the Potter cottage we had a friendly Quidditch game on their back yard. Albus's dad played too, and James, Lily and I had the advantage until Albus's mum decided to play. We were crushed and because of it she made us all our favorite dishes for dinner. That never happens in the Manor.

The truth is I was happy. My happiness only being irrevocably depleted by the Rose incident. I didn't dare mention anything to Albus, but I was itching to see her, to at least apologize (even though I suspected she was not going to accept my apology as easy as I wanted her to) for all those things I said to her last time. I was jealous, finding it completely irresistible to get her back for that day in Diagon Alley. If she was okay with me dying she could go fuck herself for all I cared. That's why I said that about the Ravenclaw boy, she got pissed, and then ran away after mentioning they had not been together for months now.

How could I have been so clueless? I had seen the signs and yet it had not clicked in my mind. She had become lonely and taciturn for the past couple months, Hogwarts must had been a nightmare with that tosser right in her own house. I was itching too to know what had happened between them. Had she broken up with him? Had him? Had he cheated on her? By her reaction I could tell she still loved him, those tears made clear her broken heart, and yet she had denied it.

I was constantly looking for her in the window, in the street, even in the conversations I had with the Potters. Every time her name got dragged into the conversation my ears prickled and burnt. If anybody in that cottage had known, I would have been discovered in a heartbeat. And Weasley had not come back to the house at all since that day.

One Saturday morning Albus handed me a really old book. Its cover was red and it was leather bound. In golden some runes, as the ones in the wooden box, decorated the cover and it was so old that the pages were falling loose. I stared at it for a couple of seconds, and then Albus said:

"It was Aunt Hermione´s. She gave it to me last year because I told her I was interested in ancient runes as a possible post-Hogwarts career." he took the book back from me, and then flicked to a certain page.

"I was reading it last night. I figured the book and the wooden box were as old as each other and I could find the runes here. It turns out I was wrong. The only rune I could find was this one." he pointed with his finger to a very small rune in the left corner of the yellowing page.

"What does it mean?" I asked, examining the rune as closely as possible.

"I have no idea." Albus said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then we are no closer to finding the truth. Thanks, Al, you are as helpful as ever." I said, rolling my eyes.

"At least I'm doing something."

"I haven't made up my mind if I want to know anything about this fucking wand. It scares me, you know? What if it is some weird dark magic shit? The Malfoys are not exactly good wizards."

"It wouldn't kill you to know about it. I mean, we can always stash it away and pretend it never happened." Albus said, taking the wooden box from my trunk.

"Fine, but if I get killed I'll make sure you die with me, mate." As I said those words a big grey owl crashed into Albus's window.

We both stood up from Albus's bed and ran to the window to get a better look. Albus's dad was in the backyard, picking the owl from the grass.

"What happened, dad?" Albus shouted from his window.

"It's Pig, he has been confused for a few weeks now. Old age is getting to him. I don't know why Ron keeps sending him." Albus's dad said. He returned to the inside of the house.

"I haven't heard anything from Rose in days. Did something happened the last time she was here?" Albus asked suddenly.

"Something like what?" I feigned innocence.

"I don't know. I just find it odd. She used to come here all the bloody time before, and the other day, it was like the old times when we would spend all day together. And then she was gone. She didn't even say goodbye."

Albus was my best friend in the world, but I couldn't just say that I was in love with Rose and I had made her leave with what I said about the Ravenclaw boy. Hell, Albus didn't even know that Rose had had a boyfriend. It was a piece of information that I kept to myself. Would he forgive me for being in love with his favorite cousin?

"Who knows. Rose is weird, she probably was feeling all high and mighty to be in our presence." I said nonchalantly.

"I hope you are right."

When we came down for breakfast, there was a note in the kitchen table and Albus's mum was preparing a cake. She hummed happily as she baked and cooked the eggs and bacon. James was there already wolfing down his plate.

We sat down opposite him, and as Albus´s mum kept serving food to us, she said we were going to the Weasleys' for dinner.

"Which Weasleys exactly?" James asked.

"With our neighbors, James." she clarified, making a disgust face as she saw James's mouth full with bacon.

Why the Weasleys decided so suddenly they wanted us over for dinner? Beats me. I was certain it wasn't Rose's idea, and I sure bet it wasn't her father's, and yet I couldn't suppress the feeling things were going to be alright from now on. Stupid little infatuated me, there was no way in hell Rose was going to forgive me that easily.

At 7 that night we went over to the Wasley's cottage with a bunch of food, and butterflies exploding every five seconds inside my stomach. The night was cool and relaxed and Albus's parents kept chatting and laughing as we made our way there. James pushed Lily over a hedge in a nearby house, and now he was running around us for his life as Lily was chasing after him.

"They know I'm still here, right?" I asked Albus whispering.

"Yeah, dad reminded Aunt Hermione, but she seemed to be ok with that. Don't worry Scorp, you are part of my family, they are going to be ok with it. Plus that thing between my dad and your dad and everybody happened a shitload of years ago. Don't sweat it." Albus responded in a cheerful tone.

But his positive prediction was dead wrong. As soon as Rose's dad opened the door, he snarled at my direction. He embraced Albus's parents, and then his nephews and nice, ignoring me completely. He showed us to the foyer, were Rose's mum greeted us in a cheerful tone. She was a pretty witch, no doubt where Rose got her looks from, unruly brown hair, piercing eyes, and a short but elegant stance. She greeted me too, not as warm and enthusiastic as with the rest of her family though. Rose came down the stairs a couple minutes later. She seemed her usual self, saying hi to everyone. And then the adults went to the kitchen to continue their conversation and Lily and Hugo went away somewhere. James and Albus drew out the Wizard Chess Rose's dad had in the living room, and embarked themselves in the game.

Rose seemed to be paying attention to it, but had a bored expression on her face. I bet she felt she was too smart to be in this kind of situation. I just stood there, in the middle of the living room, awkwardly taking in my surroundings. A lot of baby pictures on the wall, some wedding photos, a couple family pictures of the whole clan in a big mismatched house.

"Oi, come with me." Rose bumped my shoulder with hers and went away to the back of the house. I followed her with my face towards the floor. I didn't dare to look up as I knew the hopefulness and embarrassment were visible.

"If you wanted to be alone with me you didn't have to make such a fancy dinner party." I said, smirking.

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy. The only reason you are here is because my mum and dad had a huge fight because of you. And mum got her way and tricked my father into this stupid dinner to get to know you better." she said, not glancing back at me.

She stood in front of a white door with a big "R" in deep purple hanging on it. Her room, I presumed. The hopefulness grew on my face. Maybe things were going alright after all.

"If you try something funny, I'll scream." she warned, and then opened the door to her room. It was simpler and cleaner than what I had imagined. She had a four poster bed with a blueish duvet. She had wooden floors and a rocking chair by the chimney. There was a big bookshelf by one of the walls and the books were threatening to collapse as there were way too many stuffed in it.

"What is it? You're going to offer yourself to me?" I teased.

"In your dreams!" she snorted, but then laughed.

"Then what is it, Weasley? I don't think we would be here if this wasn't important or private, so just spit it out."

"Fine!" she spatted. He face suddenly blushed and her eyes darted to her shoes. _Cute._

"It's kind of embarrassing asking you this." She sat down on the bed. And after some moments of silence I did the same.

"How did you know about me and Kevin?" she finally asked.

"I saw you and that git kiss in an empty classroom near the dungeons." I said mechanically.

"Oh." she seemed concerned. "Did you tell Albus about it?"

"Yeah, we always talk about you. Our world revolves around your persona." I said. It felt kind of awful to know she was only interested in bringing me here to ask me about that shithead.

"I'm being serious here. Please don't ever tell him, nor any of my cousins for that matter." she said, her face contracted.

"Why don't you want them to know?"

"It's personal, Malfoy. Would you want your family to know who you've been snogging?" I hadn't noticed until that point that she was really close to me, her shoulder was almost touching mine.

"I don't care. I bet they know I've been kissing girls all over the place. I bet they even think I've been fucking in the corners at Hogwarts." I said, smirking at her.

"Well, that's… we didn't-just don't…" stammering, she turned her face away from me.

"You didn't what, Weasley?" my hand went to cup her face, and turning her towards me I could see she was blushing.

"I didn't-not with him…"

"You are a virgin?" I asked, hoping for the affirmative, getting a little embarrassed as well.

She stood up from the bed immediately, her face and upper shoulders turning a shade of red that wasn't even possible.

"It's none of your business! And what if I am? It's not as if I have to answer to you. And for your information, I am not interested in that, ok? I have no desire whatsoever! I need to study and get full marks in my NEWTs and-" I cut her off on the middle of her sentence. I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the bed, pinning her to the mattress.

"Don't you want this? To be touched like this?" my fingers ran the length of her arm. "Don't you want to feel pleasure from the bottom of your belly? Or your toes curl in anticipation?" my hand went up to caress her face. Her deep blue eyes were looking hungrily at me, wide opened and expectant.

"What would you do if I kiss you right now?" I finally asked.

"I would scream my lungs out." she said. We stared at each other for some seconds and then she sat up in bed, pushing me slightly away.

"Don't get funny ideas, Malfoy. You are not as hateful as I thought you were, but I don't like you that way." she stood up and facing me she said: "And I don't think you like me that way either. You're just messing with my head."

"You caught me, baby." I said. "I won't tell Albus about the git."

"His name is Kevin. Stop calling him _the git_ "

"Oh, I can stop calling him that, does the shithead sounds better? Or what about the asshole?" I smirked. She scolded.

"If you rather find insults to call my exboyfriend, be my guest. I don't really care." she crossed her arms, looking displeased.

"Don't make me laugh, you still love him, Rose. I can tell. Your face lights up, whenever you talk about him."

"That's not the case, Malfoy. I liked what we had, but that's that! I don't love him anymore, I love-" she snapped her mouth shut and turned on her heel to leave the room.

"Oi, wait a second, you dufus. You love who exactly?" I stood up, grabbing her arm and preventing her from leaving the room.

"Let go of me, Malfoy." she struggled to get her arm back, and I struggled to keep it under my grip. She started hitting me softly on the chest and in a moment's notice I had her pinned against the door.

"You are in love with someone then." I said, my voice low and threatening.

"What do you care?" she said frowning. "If I'm in love with someone what's it to you?"

"Oh, I don't care. I just thought teasing you was going to be fun."

"Think again, Malfoy, because I'm not telling!" she stuck out her tongue, and fighting the impulse to take it into my mouth I let her go.

"We should get back, it would be suspicious if we linger here." I said, opening the door of her room.

"Oi, I wondered where have you ran off to." Albus was on the other side of the door, his hand up ready to knock.

"We had a few things to discuss. About the wand and shit. We didn't want James to hear." Rose said, in her sweet little voice.

"Oh, you told her about the rune?" Albus asked, his eyes sparkling.

"I was about to," I said, turning to Rose. "Albus found out one of the runes of the wooden box in a book your mum gave him."

"And what does it mean?" Rose said.

"I have no fucking idea." Albus said. "We were hoping you could ask Aunt Hermione."

"Oh, no. I never ask about school stuff. It will certainly be suspicious."

"Then how are we supposed to find out?" I asked. The truth was I was getting a little restless with this subject. I wasn't even sure I wanted to find out, and yet I always seemed to be getting back on track to finding the truth.

"Albus should ask. He said he wanted to pursue runes as a career. My mum would be so delighted one of her nephews wants to go her way, she won't even ask why." she walked past Albus, towards the living room we were before. Albus and I followed.

"Fine, I'll do it. But I'll just say that I'm prone to panic!" Albus whispered to us.

"Don't worry, it's my mum. It's fine."

"Where exactly have you been?" a voice suddenly roared from behind us. I spun around so fast I almost lost my balance. Rose's dad was towering over me.

"Dad, we were all in my bedroom. I was showing Albus some stuff." Rose interjected.

"I know the likes of you, and I know well how teenage boys can be. Albus, you better take care of your cousin, all right? I don't want any Malfoy boy pouncing himself over my daughter." Rose's dad said, his expression dead serious.

"That's not the case, sir. I have a girlfriend, and any relative of Albus is like my own family." I said, suddenly sounding really solemn. I even surprised myself with the seriousness of my voice.

"No, boy. You could never aim to be part of this family. And you better stick to your girlfriend if you don't want to be cursed into oblivion." He said.

"RONALD WEASLEY! What do you think you are doing. Don't harrass our guest!" Rose's mum said, strutting from the kitchen to where we stood.

"Sorry, dear. Won't happen again." mumbled Rose's father, and then dragged his daughter into the dining room where all the rest of the party were already sitting down.

I sat down in the large dining table between Albus and Rose. She seemed a little uncomfortable as her dad was sitting right across from her. Dinner went by with small talk and occasional laughter from the rest. We were halfway into the main course (shepherd's pie and mashed potatoes) when Rose leaned slightly my way.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend." she whispered.

"Jealous?" I said, lifting one of my brows.

"I would rather date the giant squid than you. What do you think?" she stuck her tongue again at me.

"Careful, Weasley. One of this days I'm going to bite that little tongue of yours if you keep sticking it out." I warned.

"You wouldn't!" she said, in a rather loud voice.

"What's going on?" Rose's mum asked.

"Nothing. We were just talking about…" Rose's voice trailed off.

"About?" her dad prompted.

"About runes. I was thinking of asking you, Aunt Hermione. But Scor wanted to ask you about it as well and Rose didn't think he would actually dare." Albus interjected.

"Runes?" Rose's mum asked, a dreamy tone in her voice.

"Yeah. It's this rune we find in one of Albus's books, and we were curious about it." I said, trying to save my neck.

"Well, show it to me." Rose's mum said.

Albus handed her aunt a piece of parchment into which he had drawn the rune beforehand. Rose's mum examined it with glee and then her face turned with concerned and frowning she lifted her eyes from the parchment.

"Where did you get this?" she asked. _Oh shit._


	5. Chapter 5: The Ultimate Revenge of the N

Chapter 5: The Ultimate Revenge of the Needless Crush

My mum was officially freaking out. I could tell by her frown and her hair sticking comically out in all directions. Also, because she started to talk in a really quiet and chilling voice. I glanced at dad and he was completely terrified of that voice. She told us in almost a whisper to go to her study right away. And as much as I was scared to death of her right then, I was not going to disobey her. So I got to my feet and almost stumbled on my way to the study. Albus and Scorpius reached it as fast as I did. They were as scared of her as I was.

We had about two seconds of scared glimpses and nervousness before mum entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Why are you trying to corrupt my children?" she asked Scorpius, her eyes dead serious.

"Erhm-" I don't blame Malfoy for his lack of response, I would have whimpered at the sight of my mother towering over me. Towering as a small middle-aged woman could tower a lanky-six-foot-tall-teenager.

"Mum, what is going on?" I asked after some moments of silence.

She sat down on an armchair and began to scrutinize our faces slowly. After a couple of minutes, she relaxed on the chair and let go a deep breath.

"You don't know anything, right?" she asked Scorpius with her motherly eyes returning to her face.

"About what? What's going on?" he responded, his face still a little disheveled.

"Where did you found this rune exactly?" my mother asked cautiously taking out the piece of parchment.

"It was in a book you gave me, Aunt Hermione." Albus responded trying his best to look shy and sweet.

"Mum, just tell us what it means, you are scaring me. It's just a rune." I said.

"No, Rose. It is not only a rune. You have to understand that some runes and some words are part of something evil, and you must never pronounce them or think about them. This rune is something like that."

"And what's Scorpius has to do with anything?" I asked.

"I´m sorry, Scorpius. I thought maybe you knew something, but I guess you are just as clueless as this guys." my mum smiled sweetly at him. She stayed there quietly thinking about what to say to us, and after some moments' silence, she looked each of us in the eyes again.

"I'll tell you, so you'll be aware of the dangers that lie out there." she began. "In medieval times, families became somewhat jealous as to whom entered the clan when they married, so they began to fabricate this kinds of vows or spells that would prompt the person which they so wish to marry to die if they were considered unworthy. Many spells like this came to be, and the most famous one was called _Jeter Spectatum_ which made the witch or wizard in question abdicate its powers and lose all control over it. The caster would surrender the magic little by little until it came all back to the victim. It was a safe measure, because the caster at any given moment could take the victim's life if he suspected treason."

"You believe this rune is a spell like that?" Albus asked, suddenly worried.

"I know it's part of one." my mum declared.

"I don't get it, what's got to do with Scorpius or…" I said, biting my tongue not to reveal more information than I ought to.

"Well, the Malfoys as are the Weasleys are very old and pure blood families. The Weasleys since a few years back have intermingle with other families and the pure blood status has vanished. But the Malfoys…" my mum said.

"Yeah, the Malfoys are still evil and pure blood and could be responsible for fabricating a curse like that." Scorpius said, flopping into one of the other armchairs.

"Listen, my mum didn't mean to imply anything." I declared. He glared at me, and then slowly turned his attention to my mum.

"You believed I had placed this curse upon Rose, didn't you?" he asked my mother.

"No! Well, I kind of did at the beginning. But the truth is I truly believe you are a good kid, Scorpius. I have worked with your father at the ministry a couple of times, and he seems to be really proud of you."

"Aunt Hermione, why is that rune in the book you gave me and what does it mean exactly?" Albus asked.

"The book I gave you was an old charms and curses book I found in a second hand shop in Diagon Alley. That rune is the preface for the spells and curses I just told you about. By itself it means nothing, but with the runes that follow it can be a really powerful spell. This rune was always followed by the runes that represented the family which casted the spell and then the runes that actually specify the type of curse casted." mum suddenly stopped talking.

"Kids, this is dangerous magic, and it's very easy to get entranced with it. Please, do me a favor and promise me you will never attempt to do it. It doesn't matter where or how, just never try to cast this kind of spells."

We had no other choice but to promise with our hearts crossed. Happy that we would not convey in that kind of practices, my mum let us go. And at the other side of the door, Aunt Ginny, James, Hugo and dad were all huddled trying hard to listen to what mum had just told us.

James asked a bunch of questions after that. But we told him just what my mum knew: Albus had find this rune in one of the books my mum had given him, and he happened to ask about the one rune my mum would freak out about. James seemed satisfy with it, and after a while the Potters and Scorpius left my house and went to their own for a good night sleep.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was intrigued with what mum had told us about one of the runes on the wooden box. What had that to do with Malfoy? Was the wand telling him he had to choose a wife and cast the spell on her? But that seemed ridiculous. He was 16 and hadn't even finish school. He could not marry yet. But he already had a girlfriend. I hadn't known about it until he mentioned it to my dad. Could it be that the apparition of the wand was somewhat related to the fact that Scorpius had gotten himself a girlfriend? I shuddered at the thought. _How bizarre._

Was I really in love with him? It couldn't be. I didn't even knew him that well. Recently I had been finding out little glimpses of his life: his dad worked at the Ministry with mum apparently, and he played Quidditch in the Slytherin team, and by everyone's standards he was a good boy. Even James and Lily liked him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Fred and Roxanne talking to him and laughing too. Was I the only one that resented him?

I was in my mental ranter, my eyes wide and open, lying in bed with the light off, when mum interrupted and sat on the bed beside me. She sighed heavily and ran a hand down the length of my arm in a loving manner.

"Mum?" I asked her.

"Oh, Rosie. I thought you were asleep." she said, feigning a smile.

"What's going on?" I said, a little worried.

"Nothing. I was just, I don't know, I felt a bit funny today. I thought Scorpius and you…" she let her voice trailed.

"You thought he had cursed me, right?" I asked.

"Yes. I am not ready for you to date him yet. I have to know him a little better, sweetheart. And please give your father a chance to at least get used to the idea." she solemnly said.

"Mum! I am not dating him! And I never will! I hate him!" I covered myself with the duvet out of my mum's sight. As much as I meant those words, in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't true. I didn't hate Scorpius Malfoy, and yet I couldn't admit that to even myself.

"Hate is a really strong word. And the way you defended him tonight, Rose...I thought that maybe you had developed some fee-"

"Stop! I don't like him, and I never will." I said, uncovering my face. "Mum, he is Albus's friend, and he has a girlfriend. You and daddy always assume the worst of me when it comes to boys."

"No, Rosie. It's just that you are so pretty and smart and I bet every guy out there wants to be with you. You are 16, no longer a girl, but you are definitely not ready to become a woman and-"

"Mum! You are not talking about what I think you are-"

"I'm just saying that temptation could be high and you are unsupervised most of the time and-"

"Ugh! Mum! Listen, I am a virgin, and I don't give a damn about Scorpius or another boy for that matter. I'm planning on staying that way at least until I graduate, so please don't give me the talk. I know I'm not supposed to do it if I am not in love and that I should wait until the right person and the right time comes along. And trust me, I am in no rush to let that happen." I covered my face again, it felt too hot and I was too embarrassed to even look at my mum.

"I'm glad, Rosie. I always knew you were a good girl." She kissed the top of my head that was still uncovered, and then I felt her stand up from the bed.

"Good night, sweetie." She said, and closed the door behind her. After that I fumed a little, and slowly I felt the drowsiness of sleep over come me.

Early next morning, a tapping sound on the window woke me up. I went out of bed and opened the window and a large brown owl went into the room. Brodwin expanded its large wings inside my bedroom and perched itself to my shoulder, dropping the letter into my hand.

"Good girl" I said, patting it lightly on the head. Brodwin didn't wait for my reply, it just expanded its wings again and left through the window to Uncle Harry's house.

The letter read:

 _Come to my house at noon. We need to discuss some things. Bring a swimsuit. And Hugo._

 _Al._

That was typical of Albus, making the serious into a party. We were going to the lake at the edge of town, and no doubt we were not going to discuss anything as everybody would be there. He was a good boy, but more often than not he simply ignored the important stuff and took everything as a bonding experiment. I didn't like that about him. I hated being forced to coexist with Scorpius, and certainly not in the lake.

But as I was such a pushover when Albus Potter was involved, Hugo and I made our way to the Potter cottage at 11:55 and stood at the Potter threshold at noon exactly. Abus greeted us and we waited for James and Lily a little longer. We made our way to the lake at 12: 10, and arriving there some of our cousins were waiting for us. Fred and Roxy were a must since we were tight, but I was surprised seeing Dominique and Victoire there too.

I sat down between Dominique and Roxy in a beach towel at the edge of the lake, watching the boys strip to their swimming trunks and getting into the water. The moment I saw Scorpius's lean figure dip in the water I knew the comments were inevitable, and said and done, Roxy was the first one to talk.

"That boy sure is fine." she said absentmindedly.

"I hadn't notice that at Hogwarts, how could he went unnoticed by us before?" Dominique and Roxy were boy-crazy half the time, the other half Roxy talked about Quidditch and Dominique about fashion. The only bond I had with them was being their cousin, without that I probably wouldn't be their friend.

"He's alright, I guess." I said, nonchalantly.

"Alright? Are you blind? Perfect body, nice face, cute messy blond hair, what else are you looking for in a boy?" Roxy asked, feigning astonishment.

Dominique laughed out loud: "Come on, Roxy, you know Rose is above boys."

"What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly a little angry with her.

"Well, we all know you are only interested in studies. And you usually look down on boys when they try to approach you." she explained.

"Rose, we know you don't like boys." Roxy intervened.

"I like boys! I think about other things too, that's all." I said.

"Is that it? I thought you were scared of them." Roxy said trying to suppress a smile.

"I am not scared of them! I can talk to them and be with them. I choose not to." it was technically true that I was scared of them, but it was also true that I chose not to be with anyone at the moment.

"Sure, Rosie." Dominique said.

"I'll prove it!" I said suddenly. I didn't know where this came from, I guess I was a bit angrier than what I had initially thought.

"You would? Ok, then. Go and talk to Scorpius." Roxy dared.

"No! That's too easy!" Dominique interrupted. She thought hard for a couple of seconds and then said: "Go to Scorpius and drag him behind those rocks, there you have to flirt with him for 10 minutes. That's the challenge."

"Could I do it not behind the rocks?" I asked, starting to panick.

"You want all our male cousins to see you flirt with him?" Roxy asked.

"I guess not." I said. I gulped down hard, and went to take off my shirt and my shorts, revealing a red bikini with little white polka dots.

"And you already have the perfect attire to flirt, sweetie." Dominique said, proud filling her voice.

"Shut up, you are making me nervous." I mumbled as I stood up.

I walked slowly to the water, the boys seemed to not be paying attention to me as they were throwing a frisbee back and forth. Scorpius was a little way behind them, covering Albus if the frisbee was to go past him. Seeing him there made me excruciatingly nervous. Why had I accepted in the first place? I knew why: because I was in love with him. My body reacting in its own accord to the words Dominique and Roxy were saying about him. I wanted to prove I was capable of flirting with the boy I liked, and what's more, I wanted them to see I was the only one who could flirt with him.

I was right beside him, the boys were all paying attention to the frisbee, and only Scorpius seemed to notice me there. He smiled nonchalantly, and then returned his attention to the game. I grabbed his hand. He looked surprised. And in complete silence I dragged him behind the rocks. Everybody kept playing, not minding our absence.

I submerged my body in the water, leaving my head to bob above it. He did the same, and in this way we were completely covered by the rocks, hiding from all preying eyes.

"What's the matter, Weasley?" he asked, seriousness rolling in his eyes.

"I-I don't know." I said. _Oh! Crap!_ My brain suddenly remembered that I knew not how to flirt with boys.

"You don't know…? Why did you make me come this way?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked really fine, as Roxy had said. His blond hair was tousled and threads of it stuck to his face, his pale skin was a bit flushed specially on his cheeks and nose because of the sun, and his arms and chest looked lean and muscular.

"I-it was sort of-dare." I mumbled pathetically, retreating to the surface of one of the rocks.

Malfoy laughed in a deep and throaty voice. He leaned in my direction, pinning his hands on both sides of my head on the rock. He was still pretty far away from my face, just the sufficient space to talk without another soul hearing.

"What was it, Weasley? You had to kiss me?" he asked, leaning a little bit closer.

"No." I whispered. "I just had to flirt with you."

"Flirt? I'm sorry to tell you that you are doing it poorly." he said. He didn't move an inch, he just stood there, looking directly at my face.

"I know. I don't know how to." I confessed.

"Want me to teach you?"

"No."

"Come on, it's easy. You just have to smile shyly, and look down and then at me. You can add an extra by biting your bottom lip." he said, suddenly excited.

And then I tried. I smiled normally. since I was already embarrassed and shy, and then I looked down to the water, and up at Scorpius's eyes. He smiled back. I bit my bottom lip as he had instructed, and went a little further as to gently place my hands on his chest. His smile faded slightly.

"Is this fine?" I asked, feeling shyer by the second. He nodded.

I bit my lip again, and felt myself went red on the face. I traced his collarbone with my palms, and then went to rest them behind his neck, holding us closer together. I looked at my arms and his chest, and then my eyes fell on his perfect plump lips. He slid his hands from the rock he was still clutching to my bare hips. I jumped a little from the contact, and he laughed again, this time with a sultry and low voice. We were really close to each other by that point. His face became flusher than before and his grey eyes became serious and hard. I noticed then that my heart was rushing and it had been like that for a while.

"I am going to kiss you, Rose." he said suddenly. He leaned even closer to me, tilting his head slightly to fit into my lips.

"No!" I said, my voice still a hushed whispered. "You have a girlfriend!"

He stopped, his face still inches from mine. "Is that important?"

"What? Malfoy, I refuse to become the other woman!" I pushed him a little away, but he still had me by my hips, and I still had my arms around his neck.

"And what if I break it off with Tess?" he asked solemnly.

"I couldn't care less. I don't even like you!" I said. He looked at me through narrowed eyes and then smiled. Damn his ability to be so at ease at a moment like this. He pressed my hips towards his body, making me almost hug him. And then he whispered in my ear: "I beg to differ, my love."

I opened my mouth to retort something hurtful to him, but in that moment he suddenly pulled away from me, sending me straight to hit my bum with the rock. I looked at him, and he had a scared expression on his face, his eyes fixed to something beside the rock I was pressed to. I turned my head to the spot, feeling a brick drop inside my stomach.

"What were you doing?" Albus asked, brows frowned and a frisbee on his hand.

"Nothing." I mumbled, and stood up to walk towards the girls at the shore.

I sat down again between Dominique and Roxy, both of them asking me questions as soon as I did. I watched Albus and Scorpius walk back to Fred and James, Scorpius a little flustered and Albus with a frown on his face.

"What did you do to him? He looks really embarrassed! Cute!" Dominique pointed out, watching the same scene I was.


	6. Chapter 6: The Invariability of True Fri

Chapter 6: The Invariability of True Friendships

"Just tell me, mate! You have been quiet all fucking evening!" I said, my temper was getting the best of me. I knew exactly why Albus was so quiet, but him ignoring my every sentence was beginning to take a toll on my mood.

"I-I don't know what to say!" he exclaimed. He was lying in bed, his face away from me. I was sitting in his couch, playing with a Snitch I took from the broom cupboard.

"You know I'm stuck here for three more weeks, right?" I asked in a hushed voice.

Albus turned my way, suddenly sitting up in bed.

"Listen, I want to punch you right now. You went behind my back and snog my cousin-my favorite cousin!- and acted as if you didn't give a shit about her!"

"You want to punch me, do it then. Just stop it with the silent treatment." I said, standing up from the couch.

Albus stood up too, his fists clenched tightly. I prepared myself for the punch. He hit the air a couple times beside my face, and the third time he asserted a punch right in my mouth. I stumbled backwards, sitting instantly on the couch again. He threw himself over me, asserting another softer punch to my ribs, and then he stood up and sat on the bed again. I clenched my mouth, I tasted blood and my hand was covered in it. He handed me a tissue, and went back to rest on the bed.

"Have you been together for long?" he asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

"We are not together." I said truthfully. "We haven't kiss either. Shit! She says she doesn't even like me!"

"What the fuck, Scor. Why did you let me punch you, then? If nothing is going on between you…"

"I-kind of want to. Fuck, Albus, I've always been in love with her, since I was eleven." I confessed, suddenly feeling lighter.

"What? Mate, you sure don't look like a person in love." he said, sitting up in bed again.

"I have always avoided her. I guess I figured she wouldn't like me back, and my family would never approve of it. And truth be told, she hates me."

"You always teased her, and me, for that matter. You always annoyed the fuck out of me, until that time at the forest and then I said: hey, maybe this git is not as bad as I thought."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm a scumbag until you get to know me."

"Alright, stop with the mopping because it doesn't suit you at all, and it is making me uncomfortable. I'm just saying, she doesn't know you. And please don't take this as if I'm ok with it. I hate it, I know both of you are going to end up hurt and please don't make me choose between you two because-"

"Yeah, mate, I know. You are always going to choose her." I interrupted, rolling my eyes.

"Nothing personal, Scor. It's just, she is my cousin, like my little sister." he declared.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. I won't try anything with her. Plus I still got Tess." I said nonchalantly.

"Tess? You know you don't care about Tess." he said.

"And you know your mission with Lana Scamander is as good as dead." I teased.

"At least I like Lana."

"At least I get some action with Tess."

"Not all the action you want."

"It's a matter of time, Albus. It has to be executed perfectly, or else she'll back away."

"I'd pay to see that."

And with that, Albus and I became the best friends again. Even though I was scared out of my mind for him to turn his back on me after he found out about my crush with Rose, deep down I understood he was not going to go. Or most likely I was hoping for him not to shun me away.

Two more days passed by and I realised we hadn't discuss the wand in quite a while. I was not eager into thinking about it, not after what Rose's mum had told us. But the truth was it was still here, and it wouldn't go away until I figure this out. I was a little more comfortable with the idea of the quest that lay before me, but I got the feeling this wasn't about a bride or a spell for getting into the Malfoy family. It was something much more important, one wouldn't ask for a special kind of wand if that was the case. I got the feeling it was something more dangerous.

I talked to Albus about it and he just shrugged it out. He was not interested anymore, I could tell. And as his interest lay somewhere else (we played Quidditch almost everyday by that point) I found myself skimming through the old book Rose's mum has given him. I didn't know any runes, I had taken divination instead, and it all meant gibberish to me. I asked Albus about some runes a couple of times, and he just said to look it up in the dictionary he kept in his room. By the third time I did this, I realised we had to go somewhere else for answers.

Two weeks before returning to Hogwarts I knew I had someplace else to try before going back: the Manor. There were plenty of books that were about the Malfoy family history, and if this wand was made for one of my ancestors, it had to be in one of those books.

I told Albus about it after dinner. We were playing Wizard Chess and I kept losing to him hoping to get him into a good mood. He went into a lot of trouble to go to the Manor last summer, and I could tell his parents were happier with us here, he was going to be reluctant to go into all that trouble again to go to the Manor in an express visit. Specially when our plans were supposed to be kept secret.

"We need to go. There would be more information about this." I said in a hushed voice.

"But my parents would flip, specially after I've told them I was going to spend all summer here." he moved his Queen, taking my Knight.

"We don't have to spend the night there. We can go, and come back by dinner. Just tell them we are going into town, or to Diagon Alley. We can take the Floo Network in Borgin and Burkes to the Manor. Nobody would know." I asked, desperately.

"Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley? I don't know, mate." he blanched a little at the mentioning of the store.

"Don't be such a chicken, Albus." I said.

"You don't get it. You are use to it. But Borgin and Burkes? Knockturn Alley? The Manor?"

"What's wrong with my house? You were perfectly ok with it when we were there last summer!"

"It's not your house, or your family, Scor. It's just..."

"I get it. It's the history, right? You feel like a traitor being there and doing things in a place famous for Dark magic." I declared. I pushed over the chess pieces, gaining myself tiny little curses from them.

"Scor-" Albus started. I left the living room feeling murderous, and got outside the house.

I wandered for a couple minutes in Godric's Hollow, walking aimlessly and thinking about what it all meant. I knew Albus was not trying to hurt me or to make me angry, but my mind had just jumped to that conclusion. I knew my family and my house and everything in my world represented to him something awful, and yet he had became my friend and stayed by my side all this time. And I was angry at him anyway. I had to always come his way, he was not inclined to go mine. I guess that was the thing when you were the son of a former Death Eater, and that was the reason why all the sons and daughters of Death Eaters befriended only in Slytherin. I was in the middle: I didn't have friends in Slytherin, and I was not good enough to have friends someplace else. Even Rose's father had said so, something about not being good enough to consider his family as my own. And maybe he was right.

All that mopping had taken me to Rose's house without noticing. By that point it was pretty late, almost midnight, but the light on her bedroom was still on. I was eager to throw rocks at her window and make her come down and talk to me, but reality was pressing my head, and I knew she wouldn't come out even if I begged. And then by a miracle, she poked her head through the window. Her face was serious, but her eyes sparkled in the cool night. She closed the window again and in matter of seconds she was opening the front door for me to come in.

I followed her through the hushed and darkened house, all the way to her room again. The room was only lit by a tiny lamp on the edge of the bed, yellowing the atmosphere. She closed the door behind her and motioned to the bed for me to sit. I sat down on the edge and she climbed all the way to the pillows, tucking herself in the covers.

"Listen, Scorpius. I've been thinking since that day at the lake." Rose began, her face was red and her eyes didn't dare to look at me.

"What is it? Don't tell me you've fallen for me." I said teasing her. She smiled.

"No. That's not it. I guess I got you in trouble with Albus, right? He looked like he was about to rip your head off."

"Nah, he just gave me the silent treatment for a couple of hours." I said nonchalantly.

"Seriously? He sees us in that position and he just gives you the silent treatment? I guess it played more dramatically in my head. I thought he was a little more hot-headed." Rose said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"I suppose he would be if I hadn't explained that we didn't even like each other." I clarified.

"Oh, yeah, right. Anyway, I just wanted to say...you know...sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. It was a stupid dare." she said, her face red and cute.

"Is that all?" I asked quietly. She covered her face with the duvet, making a little yelping sound. "Rose?"

How could this girl, so ill-tempered and firm, be so damn shy? It was almost comical how the two extremes of her personality clashed in such a way. But I guess it was all because her face and her body were all so transparent. Everything that she thought, everything that she felt, was immediately reflected in those perfect blue eyes.

I crawled on the bed until my body was aligned with hers, I grabbed the hem of the duvet and pulled to uncover her. Her face was extremely red, and her eyes were looking up at me in a shiny way. Her hands were resting below her chin and her wild red hair was all over the place, framing her delicious face. I was tempted, having her there on the bed looking so ravishing, to kiss her.

"I don't know." she said in a small voice. "What were you doing out there?"

"Thinking." I said, moving my eyes away from her pretty face.

"About what?" she incorporated on the bed again, sitting down with her back to the headboard.

"About things. Just, I don't know. About stuff."

"Tell me." she said.

I went to look at her face. It was full of comprehension and curiosity, and I realised there that she considered me her friend. She no longer hated me, and I understood that maybe she was seeing me with different eyes. I was more than tempted then to kiss her, I was head over heels with her, and I needed her. I wanted to touch her, to caress every part of her body, to kiss to the last freckle. And then I was thinking about sex and I had to drift my thoughts somewhere else or it was going to show through my trousers.

"I kind of had a fight with Albus. No, it wasn't a fight, it was more like he said some things that weren't meant to hurt me, and I took it personal, so I left him there. It was really stupid. I think that maybe things have started to rub on me." I said.

She lifted the duvet eagering me to get under it. She didn't knew what that was doing to me. I was a hormonal teenage boy dying to get laid and she was actually offering her bed to me. I could control myself in normal situations, but in times like this when she was so close and there was a bed and she was wearing shorts so short and a tanktop so tight. Those were the times I was not so sure of my self control. She urged me lifting a brow and lifting the duvet a little bit higher.

I took off my shoes and slowly submerged myself in the covers. I was concentrating hard on McGonagall's face on my mind's eye to stop myself from having an erection. It was proving really uneffective. Rose's smell was everywhere on the room and her body heat was right there touching my whole body.

"What was the fight about?" she suddenly asked.

"I-Well," I cleared my throat trying to clear my mind as well. "Albus is no longer interested on the wand."

"That happens often. He always takes his attention to the shiny new thing in the room." she said, getting more comfortable inside the covers.

"I know. I'm surprised he is still interested in Lana." I followed her lead and puffed a pillow.

"Lana Scamander?" she snorted. "That won't last."

"And, anyway, I figured were we could find more information about it. But Albus won't go. I guess asking him to go to the Manor was too much." my head was resting on the pillow now and Rose's head was right beside mine.

"The Manor? But Albus went there last summer."

"Yeah, but it will always be where his dad and-" I stopped. If for Albus was bad because of his dad, for Rose must be awful because of her mum.

"I don't think that's important anymore." she said smiling a bit. "I'll go with you. If you want…"

"What? No, Rose. I can go on my own."

"You know, Albus and Lily were right. You are not as bad as you seem at first glance."

"So I've been told." I snorted. "Rose, why did you let me into your house, and into your bed?"

"You looked lonely out there. And I don't know. I kind of don't hate you, Malfoy." she smiled again.

"I don't hate you either." I said.

" I'll go with you to the Manor." she said, closing her eyes.

"Thanks, baby." I said, closing my eyes as well.

Slumber came quickly. It was a peaceful night, so much so that when I opened my eyes again I was completely confounded. I had no recollection of where I was or what was I doing there. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkened room, and I saw the sweet face of Rose Weasley lying right in front of mine. Her hair was covering her eyes, and her mouth hanged slightly opened. I glanced at my watch: _5:32_. How was I getting out of here without her father finding out? I started to panic, and suddenly Rose's hand was resting on my chest. She looked extremely comfortable with her arm across my chest, and I didn't have the heart to woke her up. Fortunately for me, she woke up on her own 20 minutes later. She looked confused as I was at first, and then she smiled.

"Good morning, Weasley." I said in a soft voice.

"Oh, Merlin! I fell asleep! How am I going to get you out of here now?!" she said, in a hushed and urgent voice. "What time is it?"

"Almost 6." I said, suppressing a yawn.

"Ok, mum and dad shouldn't be up for another hour or so. I'll sneak you out and then I'll meet you at Uncle Harry's at, say, 10?" she said.

"For what?"

"The Manor!" she said getting out of bed and getting her shoes on.

"Oh, you still want to come? Then it must be by 8. Nobody is going to be there at that hour, and mum always comes home by 12. I don't want to get caught peeking at family secrets." I said assessing her disheveled figure. _Damn, she looks hot._

I was out of the house in less than a minute, and on the way to Albus's house I couldn't get the smile out of my face. It was true that nothing had happened between us, but I was excited as if I had gotten laid. Is this what love is?

Getting into Albus's house proved to be harder than what I thought it would be. I had to throw rocks at his window. I was afraid I was going to wake up the whole house by the fifth rock and then Albus peered out and saw me. As soon as I got inside his room I flopped into bed and dreamt about Rose. The next thing I know, Rose was there shaking me to wake up.

"Malfoy, you can sleep later, if we don't leave now the adults will see us leave. And I don't plan on explaining why I am leaving with you." she said, shaking me a little harder.

"Fine." I stood up and went to the bathroom. I washed my face, my teeth and then changed into another t-shirt. Rose was getting relentless on the other side of the door, and after a couple minutes she went in and grabbed my arm. She pulled me all the way to the chimney and grabbed her share of green powder.

"Diagon Alley!" she said and disappeared. What was her deal? She was in such a rush to get there, and there was nobody here. But as I took my green powder and went inside the chimney I saw Albus's dad entering the living room. He looked at me with curiosity in his eyes, and before he could even think of a question I was already engulfed in green flames.

"Coff-coff-" I stumbled on my knees in the alley at Diagon Alley. Rose was still taking off the ash from her clothes and was looking at me with that smug glance she used whenever Albus messed things up.

"You could have warned me your uncle was in the house." I said standing up.

"If you weren't so slow in getting ready in the mornings he wouldn't have seen you!" she said, walking towards the main street.

"If you had said something I would have hurry!" I said, walking past her.

"I told you when I woke you up!" she almost yelled at me bumping my arm as she walked past me.

"Ok, stop! If you are going to be this bitchy then I won't take you to the Manor, you are just going to interfere. Stay here and I'll come and pick you up later." I said to her stopping her by the arm.

"What…? No, I want to go." she said, walking towards Knockturn Alley. "And I am not a bitch. You are the one that acts all mystified in the mornings."

"I'm sorry I'm drowsy. That happens when a troll wakes you up!"

"A troll?! That's real mature, Malfoy. You can't talk about my appearance when you look like grandma's ghoul!" she yelled again.

"Shut up!" I whispered to her, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards Borgin and Burkes. This was a weird place and sticking out was not something we ought to be doing. She protested, and I covered her mouth. "Do you want to get hexed? Because yelling like that and attracting attention is a way to do it."

She looked at me sheepishly and then stood quiet there on the street. "Come on, we need to get to the Manor." I said, taking her hand to enter the store.

The front of the store was empty, but I could hear voices and people on the back. I pulled Rose towards the back of the store where the chimney was, and handing her some green powder I let her go first.

"I hate the Floo network. I prefer flying." I said, taking the cinder off my clothes stepping into my livingroom.

"This is the Manor?" she asked looking in all directions inspecting the room.

"Yeah, it's a bit too much for my taste, but soon I'll be out of here." I declared ignoring Rose's eyes in amazement. I took her hand again and let her through the room to the foyer and then into the library. I could get used to that: holding her hand and taking her places. I was starting to get too comfortable with the idea of me and Rose being a couple. It felt good and right with her, but then again, everything was complex and frustrating with our situation.

"Wow, so this _is_ the Manor!" she exclaimed, squealing like a little kid at the sight of so many books together.

"Let's do this, we don't have much time. You get books from those shelves, and I'll get whatever I find from here." we got to work right away. She immediately found some large books on medieval times, and I was rapidly engulf with the Malfoy family tree.

We had been at it for almost an hour, when she sighed and closed one of the books. "Your family sure is large." She looked at me defeated.

"Yes, I don't know where to look exactly." I said, peering in her direction over a book about old practices of the Malfoy family. "Maybe we could take a break."

"Let's not. We still have a lot to do."

"A break won't kill you."

"But work keeps me busy. I'd rather not let my mind wander." she opened the book again and started skimming through it.

"Why not? Trying not to think of a certain ex?" I said, half teasing-half hoping.

"No. I don't think about Kevin." she declared.

"Yeah, right." I said, sarcasm heavy on my tone. "You clearly don't care about that anymore."

"I've told you a thousand times. I don't care, I don't love him, nor I ever did." she said exasperated.

"You seem rather fixated on him for that being the case." I said, I grabbed another book that caught my eye with runes on the spine.

"You are fixated on him. I regard him as a fond memory, that's all. He was my first boyfriend and my first kiss, that ought to be the case, don't you believe so?" she said a little more conversationally.

"But you are in love right now, aren't you?"

"Not with Kevin."

"With whom?" my question lingered in the room. She lifted her eyes from the book, looking straight at me. Her eyes were piercing mine, but I didn't dare take them away. She was always so intense and transparent, and yet I couldn't decipher the strange piercing look on her face.

"It's getting late. We should pack some books and continue at home. I brought the enlarged purse I use for school, here. Dump them in." she said after a couple seconds.

I obeyed as she got more books from the shelves. I counted 12 large books that we took from the library. I handed her the purse and she crossed it over her breasts. She smiled and as we proceeded to leave the room, father opened the door. He gaped at us for some moments, taking in the scene that was playing in front of him. I could see Rose stiff at the corner of my eye, and then my father pursed his lips and motioned to me to come outside and have a talk.


	7. Chapter 7: Innocence is a Bliss

**A/N: I just want to thank LilliMay77 and RosieWM for reviewing this story. It has been hard writing without any feedback, and reading their comments made me incredibly happy and grateful, and also made me realise that maybe this story is not going so bad. So thank you soooo much!**

Chapter 7: Innocence is a Bliss

We went together to King's Cross. It had all become a tradition in the Weasley/ Potter clan. We would all go together, not the aunts and uncles, they were welcome, but they were also exempt of that tradition. It was for us cousins. We all went even though some of us didn't go to Hogwarts anymore, so Teddy and Victorie were there too.

We all went to grandma's house in the morning, we ate breakfast together, and then we would all take a portkey that dropped us directly at King's Cross. At the platform, we all gathered around and hugged and wished ourselves the best for the upcoming year. For some of us, here and Christmas was the only time we got to see each other, and it had become a day we all look forward too.

The difference this time: Scorpius Malfoy. He was there too, he hugged people too, and what's become more awkward and rare of the situation is that I hugged him, not the other way around. Everybody was surprised, and I even surprised myself. Teddy elbowed me on the ribs lightly and winked at me. Granted, I was not careful enough, and some of the love I was feeling could have been discovered. But nobody else said anything, and I decided to ignore Scorpius for the rest of our stay at the platform.

Going to the Manor must have changed the way I looked at him. He holded my hand a couple of times, and my heart was beating rapidly because of it, something that never happened with Kevin. And then we were in that library for some hours, talking and joking and eventually discussing my ex boyfriend. Everything seemed so normal, so friendly, so lovely, and I eventually forgot I had to hate him.

His father came while we were there, and asked to talk to Scorpius in private. I was left in the library, feeling awkward and embarrassed. Scorpius had told me nobody was going to be there, and yet his father had caught us in fraganti. They didn't go too far, just outside the door, and their voices carried a little bit to where I was. I had to strain my ears to hear them properly, but it was still perfectly audible.

"What are you doing here?" his father had asked. "I thought you were coming back until next week."

"I know, I am. I was just...showing Rose the library. She loves books and-"

"Like her mother. Scor, what are you doing? We made perfectly clear that you have to tell us before you bring somebody over, and I prefer if your mother or I were here, specially if you are bringing a girl." his father interrupted.

"It's not like that. We are friends, she is Albus's cousin. You remember Albus? My best friend?" Scorpius was getting irritated.

"Yes, of course. I don't care who she is. It is still inappropriate. You are sixteen and I understand how could you be feeling." his father was getting uncomfortable.

"It's not like that."

"I hope not."

"So you do care. Would it be bad if I was in love with her?" Scorpius suddenly said.

"Are you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm asking if it will be bad." he sounded mad.

"Don't get yourself in trouble, Scorpius. You are a Malfoy, and I can bare you being friends with whomever you want. I even applaud you for being a better person than what I was-am. But you have to be careful who you choose as your wife, you are destined to be important, and I don't want you fooling around and messing up your future." his father said in a serious tone.

"She is not like that, she would be bloody perfect. But don't worry, dad, it's not like that between us."

"I'm proud of you, son. And I trust you are going to make good decisions." I heard a silence, and then his father spoke again: "Go back to Potter's, we'll see you next week. I tell your mother you came by to say hello."

Then Scorpius came back to the room all smiles and kindness, and holded my hand again on Diagon Alley. He defended me that time, and it was really fresh on my memory at the platform, hence the hug. The thing was, I was not all that uncomfortable hugging him, it almost seemed natural: holding hands, hugging, even talking to him about stuff I was not ready to tell my whole family. Was Scorpius Malfoy getting inside my skin? He probably was, and I didn't like it. Try explaining to Ron Weasley, Auror, hot-headed, over-protective father, that his favorite little daughter had fallen in love. Now try and explain to him that that certain person was his eternal enemy's son. I hated the idea of me being in love with Scorpius Malfoy. And yet I couldn't stop my blush or my tiny smile while we were all on the platform, as I watched him from afar.

Just before we went into the Hogwarts Express, my mum pulled me apart from the crowd and hugged me really tight. I looked at her with a surprised expression, hugging her back. She whispered: "Don't worry about your dad, I'll handle him."

"Mum, I thought-"

"I know. You are just friends, but, sweetie, you can always talk to me about anything." and then she let me go into the train. Bloody hell, mum. She was completely sure she had me figured out. True, I was in love with the git, but I was not going to become his girlfriend, and I didn't need my dad persuaded. There was not going to be anything to be persuaded about. Sometimes I hated my family for being so nosy.

"Oi, Weasley." Scorpius said when we were inside the train. He was heaving his trunk into a compartment. "Come sit with us."

"Not in a gazillion years, Malfoy." I said. I stuck my tongue out to him, and kept walking.

"Oi, watch that little tongue of yours." he said, grabbing my arm.

"What? This tongue?" I stuck my tongue out at him again. He smirked and I saw him lean over slightly. He was going to go for it, he was going to fulfill his threat of biting it. And then somebody pushed Scorpius back to the compartment.

I guess that was Tess. She kissed him full on the mouth, hugging him by his waist. He was still clutching my arm, and his eyes were wide open, surprised by his girlfriend's kiss. I felt funny inside, as if somebody had hit me with a Bludger. I felt my face heat up, and my stomach was clenching in a tight knot. Scorpius let go of my arm, and hugged her back, deepening the kiss.

She separated from him and looked around the compartment. "Oh, hi, Albus. How was your summer?" she said, sitting down beside my cousin.

Scorpius looked then to me, he smiled apologetically, and offered his hand to me. "I'll help you with your trunk."

"I told you, not in a gazillion years." I said through clenched teeth. Rage was flooding my entrails. How could he be so chill after what I saw? He was kissing another girl! And I realised I was jealous. Of course he was kissing another girl, she was his _girlfriend_. And he was so chill because he didn't love me the way I loved him.

"Weasley, come on. Albus would want you to sit with us."

"Shove it, Malfoy. I don't sit with wankers like you two!" I turned around, tears were prickling my eyes, and I was not going to let Malfoy see them. I dragged my trunk to the next compartment. Lily, Roxy and another Gryffindor girl were there. I pulled my trunk in and hoisted it up to the rack. I slumped next to Roxy and gulped down my tears.

"Are you alright?" Roxy whispered. Lily and the other Gryffindor girl were talking about the girl's summer holydays.

"Yes, I'm just a little tired."

"That's not tired, my dear. You look sad." Roxy said, holding my hand.

"What happens when the boy you like doesn't like you back?" I said, surprising myself.

"You fight, girl."

"Ugh-" I exclaimed, covering my face. "He is totally not worth it."

"If he wasn't, you wouldn't be moping around like this. Who is the lucky man who has pulled out our dear Rosie from her indifference?" Roxy asked, her voice still a whisper.

"No one. It's stupid anyway. He is a stupid git who is totally not worth it. Forget I even mentioned him." I said, straightening a little bit on my seat and smiling at her.

"You are a terrible liar, baby." she said, squeezing my hand, but letting the subject go anyway.

The first week on Hogwarts was excruciatingly painful. If I had known falling in love would hurt so much, I wouldn't have let myself admit it. The only true advantage of being in love with Scorpius Malfoy was he was a Slytherin and I was a Ravenclaw. True, it counts in the disadvantage department too, but at least it meant I was not to look at him during most of my classes. Unfortunately, we still had Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Herbology together since we advanced into the NEWT courses. And fortunately, Tess Williams was not in any of those classes.

I made the mistake of asking James about her. I was aiming for a know-your-enemy approach, but James is as curious as a cat, and I ended up making an excuse about her being good in arithmancy and I was hoping we could be friends. Of course she didn't even take arithmancy, and James started questioning about it every second he got. I suspected he knew the real reason, and yet was reluctant to believe it.

I managed to gather some information from my female cousins, though. The first to spill the beans on this girl was Dominique, as she was always eager to talk: she was a sixth year like us in Gryffindor, she didn't play Quidditch, she didn't care about fashion (Dominique took an insult in this), her big brother is Jared Williams, seventh year Ravenclaw and Quidditch superstar (and yummi according to Dominique). And then Roxy told us a story about Tess, in which she slept with a seventh year in her fourth, and was about as pleasant to be with as a Banshee.

"I don't buy it. She doesn't look the type." I said after thinking about it.

"I don't know if it's true or not. I heard that in the girl's bathroom. I mean, it is most likely gossip, but why would they say something like that if there wasn't any fundament in it. Best case scenario she loved her older boyfriend very much and popped her cherry. Worst case scenario, she is a slut who hates women that take her thunder." Roxanne concluded.

"Why all the interest in Scorpius's girlfriend?" Dominique asked.

"I don't like her, that's all. And I can tell Albus doesn't like her either. And if we are going to be forced to coexist with her because of bloody Malfoy I might as well know what I'm dealing with. I hate being unprepared." I solemnly said. A lie, but in the end they accepted it as true. In their minds I was just worried about Albus having a hard time with Scorpius worrying about a petty girlfriend.

Every time I ran into Scorpius and Tess I felt my throat become a tight knot. I cried a little bit on the inside whenever I saw him reaching to hold her hand. Since when was Scorpius so dovey-lovey with his girlfriend? Before the summer I had never known he had a girlfriend, and I had never seen them together. And then again, I was not really paying attention to him.

And it was one of those times in which I lost it completely. I was practically running to the library to get some work done on my potions essay before all the good books were taken. And right on the hallway outside the library there was Scorpius and Tess laughing. He had her taken by the waist, leaning forward to kiss her, while Tess was leaning back, laughing, pushing Scorpius slightly away. He laughed that throaty laugh that sounded so good coming from him. And when he saw me standing there, he smiled.

"Hey, Weasley. It's been awhile since I saw you." he said, composing himself and taking Tess's hand on his.

"Yes, I don't have time for you or your childish ranters, alright? I don't really give a damn about you." and I passed beside him, bumping his shoulder a little bit. I kept walking the two or three meters that were left to the library door, never glancing back. I heard Tess murmuring: "What's wrong with that bitch?"

If I was not on a foul mood by what I had seen, then I was definitely on a bad mood after hearing that. I stormed into the library, walking over to the potions section, and upon seeing Albus with my favorite potions book I went up to him and started whispering an angry ranter about him taking everything I needed when I was about to use it.

"Rose, what's wrong with you?" Albus asked surprise and worry showing on his features.

I heavily sighed and dropped to the chair beside him, grabbing another potions book from the shelf before me. "Nothing. I'm just having a bad day. Sorry." I murmured. We worked in silence for a couple of minutes, him taking his sweet time with my book and me not finding the information I needed from mine. I desperately shut the book close, and turned to Albus.

"Why do you hang out with Malfoy?" I asked him.

He looked at me in a funny way and then shut his book too. He slid it through the table towards me, and then grabbed another one from the shelf. I was beginning to think he was not going to answer and then he said: "I don't know. He's cool."

"Cool? That's the reason? He is a complete git." I said through my breath.

"He's not. He is a good person, you just haven't noticed yet." he answered, absentmindedly.

"I don't need to know him. He is a prat and a git and a fucker, and I really couldn't care less if he died in a ditch tomorrow."

"Those are really strong emotions right there. What did the poor bloke did to you?" Albus asked, looking at me in an amusing way.

"He did the worst he could do to a girl. And I really hate him for it." I grabbed the book I needed and headed to the exit. The minute I left the library I knew I had said the wrong thing to Albus. He was going to think something awful of his friend, but at that moment I was incredibly mad and stupidly hurt to even care about it. And in the back of my mind I knew Scorpius hadn't done anything bad. He just didn't love me, and to me that was betrayal. He was a traitor for making me fall in love with him, and holding my hand in Diagon Alley, and defending me against his dad, and then he had just simply not loved me back. Damn that stupid git.

I knew something had happened the next morning at breakfast. I was at the Ravenclaw table with Lily, trying my best to look as if nothing was wrong, and she was happily chatting about another fourth year Ravenclaw boy that had asked her out to Hogsmeade in the upcoming weekend. She was the only other Ravenclaw in the family and we often had breakfast together. Scorpius was at the Slytherin table, chunking his mouth with scrambled eggs and sausage, and Tess kept smirking in his direction from the Gryffindor table. Albus entered the Great Hall looking tight and robotic, he glanced at me, and then kept walking to the Slytherin table. They spoke so soft I was not making out the words, but Albus clenched Scorpius by the shoulder and motioned outside with his thumb. Scorpius looked funnily at Albus, and creased his eyebrows at him. Scorpius didn't stand up immediately and Albus clenched his shoulder a bit harder, making him grab his wrist and pushed his arm out of his shoulder. Scorpius stood up then, and they both headed outside.

I was a serious mess of nerves. I should had never said those words to Albus and a pang of guilt seethed through my whole body. I didn't see them again for the rest of the morning. We had potions with Slughorn after lunch, but both of them skipped class. I was getting worried. Had Albus murdered Scorpius and hid his body in the Forbidden Forest? Albus was certainly not as hot-headed as the rest of the Weasley clan, but he was really protective when it came to me. I guess he saw me as his little sister.

When I went down to dinner, Tess ambushed me in the hallway. She had a crazy look on her face, and scolding she said: "Stay away from him. You are only causing trouble." I kept quiet, unsure as to what I had to respond to that. Seeing my clueless face, she scolded some more and under her breath she muttered: "Bitch!" And went down to the Great Hall strutting.

Maybe she was right, maybe I was a bitch for not rectifying my mistake. Maybe I was a bitch for treating Scorpius as scum when he had done nothing wrong. In fact, thinking back to it, Scorpius was always nice to me, except on the counted occasions when he was taking the mickey. I was being this awful person just because I hadn't gotten what I wanted, just because he was in love with somebody else, and even then, he had been perfectly nice to me.

The guilt was eating me away. And yet I was too scared to find Albus and tell him I was mistaken and Scorpius had done nothing wrong. I was a coward, and suddenly I realised why I was not a Gryffindor. Could it be that I was becoming an awful person? I was still dueling on my thoughts when I arrived to dinner. Roxy motioned to me to sit with her, and I sat heavily on the bench, James sitting in front of us.

"I guess they are in a rough patch?" I heard James saying to Roxy.

"Give them a couple days, I'm sure they'll be fine." Roxy started.

"I don't know, Rox. They seemed really angry. I mean, I don't know what was it all about. But Albus kept shouting to him, and Scorpius kept denying everything." At hearing their names, I lifted my head, suddenly opening my eyes really wide.

"What?" I said.

"It seems like your wish it's coming true, Rosie. It appears they are no longer friends, Albus went ballistic, saying Scorpius was a traitor and he no longer was his friend." James said. "I bet it was because of a girl."

"What? But Scorpius and Tess… Do you think he was cheating on her?" Roxy offered. "Was he cheating with Lana?"

"I don't know." James frowned a little. "Plus, Tess seems to be alright." We all glanced in her direction, she was indeed fine, she was laughing with a bunch of Gryffindor friends.

"I have to go." I said, leaving my plate almost full. I had to go and rectify this. I didn't want to become an awful person, I was more than that, and as much as being heartbroken had given me the excuse to torture Scorpius, this was too much. I was not going to be responsible for Albus's and Scorpius's friendship going to the gutter.

I left the Great Hall with James's and Roxy's questions of where I was going left unanswered, and I hurried to the Gryffindor common room. Albus must be there, as he didn't came down to dinner, and if I waited outside somebody sure was going to let me in. And as I made my way through the seventh floor corridor, I felt large fingers pulled me into an empty classroom. I yelped surprised and the same hand covered my mouth.

"What the hell did you tell Albus?!" it came as an angry whisper. Scorpius was grabbing me strongly by the arm and had me pinned to the cold wall of the empty classroom. The sunset was peeking through the window, submerging the room in an orange tone.

"I-It wasn't-I didn't-" I helplessly said.

"You didn't what, Weasley?!" He said in a louder tone.

"I didn't mean to say that!" I said, tears prickling my eyes.

"Oh, don't you dare cry. You are not the victim here! What the fuck did you tell him to make him think that I-" He didn't finish his sentence, anger spilling out of his pores.

"I was jealous, ok?!" I suddenly said.

He looked at me in a funny way, his anger slightly subsiding.

"I was jealous of you spending all that time with Tess and I don't like her and everytime Albus suggested we all do something together you came with her, and it was irksome! And then Albus asked me what have you done to me that made me so angry at you, and I said you did the worst possible thing you could do to a girl, and I left. And I didn't realised I was making him think something horrible until after, and…" my voice trailed off, tears spilling.

I felt Scorpius's grip on my arm become loose. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to see him any longer, I couldn't bare looking at him after I had said that, after I had practically confessed to him I was in love. But he kept silent, and after some minutes of me crying my eyes out he grabbed my arm again and pulled me to his chest, embracing me with his arms.

"I only meant that you made me jealous and that was the worst. I didn't mean you had done something to me." I said, my voice muffled by his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, enjoying that faint grass and cinnamon smell. Why hadn't I noticed he smelled so good before?

"I'll talk to Albus. Don't worry." I said, separating myself from him. He looked at me in the now darkened room.

"Why were you jealous?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We were friends in the summer, right? I guess I just missed talking to you like before." I lied, apprehension leading its way to my gut.

"Is that all?" he asked, his face serious and fixed.

"Yes, of course." I felt my stomach tingling. "What did Albus do?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Not much, he just yelled and declared our friendship over."

"Not even a punch? I don't think I'll trust Albus with my honor anytime soon." I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm grateful, I think he would have killed me if James and Fred weren't there too." he said, shrugging.

"Scor?" I said, after leaving the dark classroom and heading to the Gryffindor common room so I could clarify everything to Albus. He hummed to make me understand he was listening.

"Are we ok? I mean, are we...friends?" I asked feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Yeah, Rose. We're mates. Don't worry about it."

"Great" I said, my voice a little sarcastic.


	8. Chapter 8: The Yearning in the Time of T

**A/N: Hello! Thank you all for your wonderful lovely reviews. I really appreciate them, specially the ones that give me a little feedback. I'm sorry it has taken me awhile to update, but my birthday just recently came up, like today, and I was busy planning myself a birthday party. Thanks for sticking with it until this chapter, I promise things would go a little faster and a little hotter from now on. Enjoy.**

Chapter 8: The Yearning in the Time of Truth

This declared friendship was starting to take a toll on my relationship. I was constantly reminded of it by Tess and she often made a little scene about it. The truth is I was ready to break it off with Tess the minute we went back to Hogwarts from the summer holidays. But seeing Rose all flustered and realising she must not feel the same as I did, I prolonged my relationship with Tess indefinitely. At first I had a guilty conscience every time Tess was near me, as if I was using her, and truth be told, I really was. But as the days passed by, I started to enjoy the whole thing. Not only did Tess was snogging me senseless whenever we were together, but I realised that I liked spending time with her. We no longer hid in cupboards and we were not denying we were going out any longer.

At the beginning of October, I could see that Rose was snickering and scolding whenever she saw us. She threw this little tantrums as if we were really annoying her. It was a shock to me, really. I was so used of Rose completely ignoring me, that having her actually angry at us for being a couple was something completely unimaginable.

I considered breaking up with Tess then, but every time I did so, the words my father said would resonate on my head. He said he was okay with me befriending anybody, but he freaked out when he saw us suspiciously standing in the library at the Manor. I guess he was not as inclusive as I had thought in the beginning. Rose was not enough for a Malfoy apparently, and I was not eager to defraud my father. I felt trap, to be honest. In one side was my love for Rose, which in the past months had just increased; and on the other was my father and Tess, and the possible sexual outcome I was going to get.

And then that shit with Albus and Rose happened. That girl sure can make a scene, if she didn't want me to forget her she could as easily talked to me in the corridors. But no, she had to go and fabricate that lie of me taking advantage her. As in sexually! As if I was some kind of sexual monster. Albus was shooting daggers and at first it wasn't so bad, he asked if I had done something to her and I told him no. But he kept asking in different ways until I was completely confused.

"What's wrong with Rose, Albus? Why are you asking me this?" I said, worry and disbelieve resonating in my voice.

"You piece of shit, you raped her, that's what!" he roared. We were alone in a corridor that led to the Entrance Hall.

"What the fuck, Albus?! Rape?! What are you talking about?!" I was completely dumbfounded.

"You said you wanted to be with Rose, and you are always so eager to have sex. I should have known this was going to be an issue! And I let you two go to the Manor! I bet you raped her there! No wonder she was so angry at you lately!" Albus was gripping my shirt in his fists. I tried denying it, but he just kept yelling. After some seconds, James and Fred arrived, apparently coming back from breakfast. Albus calmed down a little after that, but he just looked at me in a degrading manner, and let go of my shirt.

"Don't go near her again. You are a traitor, and no longer my friend!" and with that he left. Fred and James smiled apologetically at me, and then went to follow Albus.

The reconciliation was quick and easy, and I was not even present when he found out the truth. Rose took care of everything, after that confession she did to me. She was jealous of me and Tess, and I kind of knew since before everything had happened. But the truth was, she was a bit possessive of her cousins, I once saw her hexed a gal that was looming close to James back in fourth year. Who said this was not the same? She was nasty to me and made no attempt to hexed Tess. She was not interested in me, she regarded me as a friend. I was able to confirm that after I confronted her about the rape: she asked if we could be friends. _Just my luck!_

But that was all in the past. It was the beginning of November, Quidditch season was unusually unpredictable as Gryffindor lost to Slytherin in the first match, and Ravenclaw managed to beat Hufflepuff. That meant, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were going against each other. I was kind of jealous for the chance James and Fred would have against Rose's ex boyfriend. He was a Chaser for the Ravenclaw team, and James was sure to aim some Bludgers at him. Rose said something about it to me one day getting out of potions. She was sure James was going to hurt him, and she was not all that eager to see that. She kept talking about it all the way to the Great Hall where we parted. Tess came up to me and kissed me full on the lips, slithering her arm to my waist.

"She must always linger with you like that?" she asked. This was kind of true. After the incident, our friendship had become somewhat stronger, we were discovering this things we had in common and we spend together as much time as we had.

"She is my friend, that's all." I said to Tess, setting an arm over her shoulders.

She scolded, and her brows furrowed. "I don't like it. She was insulting you a couple days ago, and now she is your best friend?"

"Yes, that's about it." I said, ignoring her disapproval.

"I'm afraid she'll hurt you, Scor." She said.

"Don't worry about it. She won't. I don't regard her like that." we walked towards the stairs to the Divination classroom.

"I didn't say anything about regarding her like something else. What's going on?" she let go of my waist and stood in front of me.

"Nothing! You are a little paranoid today, my love." I said, sliding her closer to me and kissing her on the lips.

"Maybe. Listen, Scor. You know I was ecstatic about us going public and everything, but I have started to…" she trailed off. She looked around to see if anyone was near and came one step closer to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's not wrong. I was just wondering. We have been together for like 8 months and maybe it's time." she said, blushing furiously.

"Oh!" I said, my mind racing and my trousers becoming smaller by the second. "Like now?"

"No! I mean, not right now. But like really soon." she answer, panic starting to show on her face.

"Alright." I said. I holded her hand, leading the way to Divination. I glanced at her, she had a small smile on her lips, and suddenly I felt apprehension and guilt fill my lungs. That was not how I wanted to feel the first time I was having sex.

And my mooning over the matter continued over the class, and at dinner and when I went to bed. I was going to have sex, and what's more, with Tess who had an awesome body and cute long sandy hair. She was like the perfect model of a girlfriend, and yet I was feeling kind of miserable. I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter who it was with, as long as I got laid. But images of a crying Rose came back to me all through the night. I was completely, madly, stupidly in love with Rose, and being with Tess only made things worse.

The next morning I came to the Great Hall for breakfast feeling dejected. My resolve was made: I was going to have sex with Tess, I liked it or not. I sat down at the Gryffindor table with Albus, he had his mouth full of cereal and was slurping milk all over his Quidditch through the Ages book.

"Albus, I'm getting it. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but I'm getting laid real soon." I said triumphantly at him. He spat his cereal on his book and coughed a little.

"Congrats, mate!" he beamed at me, milk trailing down his chin, slapping his hand on my shoulder.

"Why are we congratulating Malfoy?" Rose asked, sitting in the table with us.

"Oh, he's finally getting laid." Albus shrugged, getting his cereal back to his mouth.

"Oi!" I exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed. We had talked about sex before, why I was feeling embarrassed all of a sudden with Rose.

"Is that it?" she asked, raising a brow. "Interesting. And have you told her that you love her?"

Albus spat his cereal again and coughed even louder than before. "Rose, what are you saying?"

"Well, if he is going to make love to Tess, I guess he told her that he loves her, right? Or she will want to when you are doing _it._ " she said matter-of-factly, blushing like a true Weasley at her words.

"Erhm-" I said. I didn't love Tess. And I was not sure I was going to be capable of saying it in the right moment.

"What? Don't you love her?" Rose asked me again.

"Erhm-"

"You don't?" Rose was starting to get that smug look she got whenever Albus and I did something wrong.

"Listen," I changed the subject. "I was meaning to talk to you about the wand."

"Oh?" she asked, interested once more in the mystery before us.

"We haven't even read those books we got from the Manor, and it has been making weird sounds lately, I'm afraid the blokes in the dorm will figure there is something odd in my trunk." I said. "And as it's Saturday, maybe we could get something out of those books."

"Count me out. I need to practice, I have been having a hard time finding the Snitch lately. James is going berserk. He really wants to beat Ravenclaw." Albus said, moving on from the cereal to the eggs and bacon.

"Fine. I'll go. But we'll have to meet in a classroom. I bet Madam Pince would be suspicious if we bring our own books to the library." she said, getting more Treacle tart into her plate.

"Right, at 6 in the dungeons?" I asked. But before Rose got to answer, Tess arrived and sat down next to her.

"Hello, gorgeous." she said to me, and then turned to Rose. "And hello to you. It's rare seeing you here in the Gryffindor table."

"Not really, I usually eat dinner with Albus." Rose responded, shrugging and eating without even a glance to Tess.

"Really? I didn't notice, I always eat with Scorpius and I haven't seen you with Albus. Maybe we are too busy, eh Scor?" she said, winking at me.

"Yes, maybe you are too busy stuffing your face with food to notice anything else. I have seen you, Tess; food doesn't really suit you, those extra pounds are starting to take their toll on your beauty." Rose said, feigning a smile. I had to give it to her, she knew how to defend herself.

"What? You, bitch! I was trying to-" Tess started, but I cut her off.

"That's enough. Let's go, Tess." I stood up, grabbing my girlfriend by the arm, and taking her out of there.

"Scorpius Malfoy, you better not be defending that bitch when she insulted me!" she said, digging her fingernails in my bare palm.

"Oi, that hurts." I said, taking my hand back. "I defended her because you were being nasty to her. She just-"

"Oh, if I'm nasty with anyone you should be nasty too! Or at least give them the cold shoulder!" she said, inserting her hand into mine again.

"You are wacked, Tess. I'm not going to be nasty with my friends. What has Rose done to you?"

"It's not what she had done, it's more like I try to be nice and she always insults me. I tell you, Scor, that girl is a weirdo. She's always clutching to your arm, and drooling all over the place. She has a thing for you, and I won't tolerate somebody trying to steal you away from me." she said, hugging my arm.

"You are mental, then. Rose Weasley having a thing for me? Yeah, right, when hell freezes over, maybe." I said, laughing hard.

Tess seemed to take this as a good sign, and lead the way into Hogsmeade. We arrived just as a bunch of fifth years went into the street from Honeydukes. We wandered through the crowded street, sorting our way to get into the shop. Tess made some purchases of her favorite sweets and made me try some Every Flavor Beans (I got chocolate and she was a little disappointed) and just as we passed through the opening of the store to go out, I could see Rose getting into Hogsmeade arm in arm with Albus, they seemed to be laughing at something she said, and flicked her long wild hair over her shoulder. She looked stunning from where I was, and I understood why I was so apprehensive of doing it with Tess. _She was not Rose._ __And, granted, I kind of knew all along that I was completely smothered with Rose, but then I realised that she was the only one that mattered, the only one I wanted.

"Baby, come on. I want us to go someplace." Tess's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. We walked all the way to the Shrieking Shack. She pressed herself to the fence and holded out her hand for me to join her.

I pressed my body to hers, the rusty November air sending a shiver down her spine. I kissed her full on the lips, getting my hands inside her jumper. As my eyes closed, I could smell Rose's scent from that time in her bedroom. And slowly I pictured her right there in front of me, her blue eyes piercing into my soul, and her whole body shivering from my ministrations. Tess was smiling into my kisses, breathing heavily. She let her hands wander to my hair tousling it while we kissed. I could feel the heat of her body sipping to mine. I was really horny, my hands exploring her front. She arched her back to fall into my palm, her breasts inviting me to touch her. I separated from our kiss, breathing hard, my mouth then trailing kisses along her jaw, imagining Rose's milk soft skin. She kissed the crook of my neck, and planting wet kisses near my earlobe, she whispered: "Let's do it tonight."

I felt a shudder go down my spine. My eyes suddenly went wide, eyeing her in surprise. She lightly touched my chest, her fingertips running down my front. She hooked them in my belt, pulling me closer to her. I felt my groin being pressed against her hip, and closed my eyes at the light sensation.

"I love you, Scor." she said. I opened my eyes slowly, panic seeping through my brain. Rose had been right, Tess was hoping I would say the words before shagging, but I was as eager to say them as eating Bubotuber pus.

"I'll find us a place. I'll take care of it." was the only thing I managed to say, and I dragged her back to the castle. I could see Tess was a little disappointed, and yet she hadn't said anything about it. She was silent the whole way back, her hand desperately clutching mine. I felt a pang of guilt again, I was really using this girl, and yet I had no intention of stopping it. I figured: _If it's not Rose, might as well be with anybody._

When we arrived, Rose was sitting alone in the stairs in the Entrance Hall. I instantly smiled at her, feeling a sudden surge of joy watching her there waiting for me. Tess was not so happy, as she sighed heavily and squeezed my hand tighter. Rose glanced up from her thoughts and smiled back at me, she was clutching a purse which was crossed over her shoulder, and immediately stood up to come my way.

"You sure took your time, I've been waiting for fifteen minutes." she said, trying to suppress her smile and making a little funny frown.

"We were busy." said Tess acidly, turning her head away from her. "What were you waiting for anyway?"

"It's none of your business." Rose said as acidly to her and turned to me. "Want to go now?"

"Yeah." I said. I felt Tess's grip tighten even more on my hand and starting to feel panic, I decided to talk to her in private. "You go ahead, I'll be right there. I'm just going to say goodbye to Tess."

"Fine." Rose said, looking grumpy and skipping away to the dungeons.

"What are you doing? I thought-" Tess started, making that ugly frown she did every time she was upset.

"We'll see each other tonight. I'll come and fetch you. I just need to get this thing done with her." I excused myself.

"What thing exactly?"

"It's a surprise for Albus, his birthday is coming up." I lied instantly.

"Fine, you go do that." she said in an angry tone. She let go of my hand and stormed away to the staircase. I was starting to feel like I was living a double life. And maybe I was: being friends with the girl I'm in love with, and pretending I love a girl I don't really care for. I was not technically cheating, but I guess if it feels like you are cheating, then you most certainly are. I was cheating on Tess with my friendship with Rose. No, it was not like that. It felt more likely that I was cheating on Rose with my relationship with Tess.

I went to the dungeons feeling a little remorseful. My brain kept saying I had to choose between them, but the truth was I was not all too eager to do so. Things were far less complicated with Rose and Tess in this roles. Tess was my girlfriend, and her family most certainly didn't want to murder me. And Rose was my friend, and her cousins had no reason to murder me. Maybe my father would deem Tess worthy of the Malfoy status, and then everything was truly going to be alright.

And as I was rushing through my thoughts, I felt a weight drop on my back. I almost fell to the floor, if it was not for the stone statue of a goblin standing right in front of me.

"Did you got rid of the mean old bitch?" Rose whispered in my ear, she on top of my back.

"Who are you calling a bitch, Weasley? That's my girlfriend." I hissed, trying to get my hands on her and get her off my back. She laughed on my ear and jumped down.

"That doesn't mean she's not a bitch." she said, sweetly, getting inside a classroom at the end of the hall.

"Oi!" I exclaimed, running after her. I heard her laugh inside the classroom, and when I peeked inside, the books from the Manor's library were sprawled all over the desk, she was in the teacher's place, giving me a nasty grin.

"What are you up to, Weasley?" I said, suspiciously.

"Nothing, Mr. Malfoy. Please take a seat so I can continue with class. Or would you care to give an example to the rest of your classmates." she said in a perfect imitation of McGonagall. She snorted and then started laughing hard. _Cute,_ I thought, a little heart stroked and flustered because of it.

"Come on, Malfoy. _That_ was funny." she said when she saw me not laughing. She wiped an imaginary tear from her left eye and cleared her throat. "Merlin, one can't have a bit of fun around here."

"You want to see something funny?" I suddenly asked. She grinned at me and nodded. I came up to her, around the desk, so we could be one in front of the other. My hands rapidly went up and finding her waist, I tickled. I have yet to encounter a person more ticklish than Rose Weasley. She immediately dissolved into hysterics, thrashing around and asking me to stop. She backed away into the desk, toppling us both onto it, over the books. I was on top of her, she trapped under my weight, her face was really close, and both of us were breathing hard. I had the urge to kiss her, her lips plump and red, and her aroma so sweet and inviting.

She looked me in the eye, her smile and laughter melting into her serious expression, the one she used for telling the truth.

"Have you done it?" she asked.

"What? Me and Tess?" her eyes were shining and my arms went a little tighter around her.

"Yes."

"Not yet."

"You shouldn't do it if you don't love her." she said, biting her lower lip.

"You don't understand. I'm a guy, I'm going to jump at the first opportunity I got." I said, getting up from my position. I sat down at the teacher's chair, and Rose straightened herself to sit on the desk.

"But I bet if you wait, then it'll be better." she said, fidgeting with the hem of her jumper.

"What if there is nothing better?" I asked.

"It will be, when you do it with someone you love."

"Maybe I don't care. I just want to do it. And you shouldn't care about my sex life either!" I exclaimed, lifting a brow at her.

"I'm-I was-I just feel…" her words drifted away, her face turning scarlet.

"I'm going to do it tonight, so don't even sweat it." I said, looking towards the open books, trying to get us started on the matter.

"Tonight?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." I said, lifting a page that had gotten loose from one of the older books.

"And if I asked you not to do it? For me? Could you not do it and wait?" she asked softly again. _What?_

I turned my head in her direction, she was redder than ever, and her eyes were looking to a loose thread on her jumper. Was she asking me to wait for her?

At midnight I had come to the seventh floor in search of the Room of Requirement. I had heard stories about it, and last Christmas, I heard Albus's dad and Rose's dad talking about it to Teddy, so I knew exactly where it was. I hadn't thought of using it for that purpose, I was going to tell Albus and come and explore it. But having sex was a far better use of it. I had Tess by the hand, and we were pacing up and down the hallway.

I was thinking hard about what I wanted: _A room to have sex and avoid being discovered._ And at the third time we passed in front of the wall, a door magically appeared. Tess was delighted, and rushed in immediately. The room was indeed breathtaking. It had a large squared bed covered in fuzzy pillows and soft sheets, a soaring fireplace, lightening the room in a yellow glow, and an immense rug by the fire. Everything was set, and I was getting nervous, but I turned to Tess, who was already bouncing in the huge bed, hoping all would just flow soothingly.

I came up to her, and she to me. She wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed me slowly, her body pressing to mine. I could feel her breasts against my chest and I had the good sense of hugging her tightly around her middle. Her tongue was exploring the confines of my mouth and ever so slowly I eased her onto the bed, pressing myself to her. I felt my erection painfully throbbing inside my trousers, and I was dying to get on with it. She hissed my name in my ear, as I started kissing her jaw and then down her neck.

Rose's words hit me like a thunder. I was not expecting to remember them, in fact, I was avoiding them. I just went away when she asked me to wait. I made some pathetic excuse of remembering something important I had to take care of, and grabbed a book and asked her to keep searching for clues. And then I ran away. I panicked, was that a declaration of her love for me, or was she just trying to control me? Either way, was already too late, I made up my mind to have sex with Tess and finally get rid of my horrid virginal status.

But as we lay there in bed, she now on top of me, unbuttoning her blouse to get it out of the way, Rose's words came rushing to my head: _Could you not do it and wait? For me?_ Tess dropped her blouse to the floor, her breasts almost peeking out from her bra, her waist thin and smooth. She leaned down to kiss me and I couldn't move. As I closed my eyes, Rose's perfect blue eyes appeared in my mind's eye. As Tess kept kissing me, Rose's face materialized within my closed eyelids, her freckled soft face, her wild hair, the slightly crooked fang she showed whenever she really smiled, the piercing transparent look she gave you as she listened. Was it wrong I was imaging Rose's body on top of me, as Tess was kissing me senseless? Who was I really cheating with this? _Myself,_ my head suddenly said. And then it hit me, maybe I had gotten the whole thing wrong since the beginning. Maybe _if it was not Rose, then it shouldn't be with anyone else._


	9. Chapter 9: Opportunities Sometimes Aim t

**A/N: Hello! I got inspired and I wrote this chapter almost in one go. Please, please, review so I can get even more inspired and upload the next chapter faster. Thank you for reading this, and thank you so much to all of the ones that took the time to review. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9: Opportunities Sometimes Aim to Disaster

I cried almost at every waking moment lately. If it was not in my four poster in the dormitory, it was in the common room in one of my secluded corners for doing homework, or at the library when I was alone. At the exception of class and meals, every other moment was passed crying. It wasn't so bad when Scorpius and I were not on speaking terms, but now that we were "friends" it was becoming a desperate situation. My heart ached so much I considered go back to being enemies, but it was not doable anymore. Scorpius was in there, and he refused to let go of my heart.

One night at the end of November, I was doing homework by the fireplace, and as I was in public and the common room was still full, crying was out of the question. But as I remembered how Scorpius had fled from my side that night at the dungeons, the tears were threatening to come out. I concentrated hard on my paper for Herbology, trying to enumerate all the possible uses for Bubotuber pus, Uncle Neville loved the Bubotuber pus subject and was sure to give me extra credit for enlisting all the uses. As I kept writing, tears unconsciously started to spill all over my parchment. Why was so hard to keep them dry after that night?

It had been two days since that fatidic night in the dungeons. I did it, after a month of watching him flirting and kissing and being all gross and sexual with her, I finally asked him to not go, to wait for me. Or it was kind of what I meant, even though I didn't actually said those words in that order to him. And then he just left, he made a pathetic excuse and he left. It was true, then, that he didn't love me the way I do.

So as I was writing, the tears spilled, filling my eyes and my chest and making me unable to even think about anything else than that fucking git and his lame excuse of a girlfriend having sex. _She must be awesome in bed,_ I thought bitterly. Those rumors that were lulling around all over school about her, about her experience with older guys, if not true, then they must have had a foundation. And truly, with what I saw on a daily basis of her and Scorpius, I wouldn't be surprise if the rumors were actually accurate. I saw the way she saw him, and the way she so comfortably touched him; the way her hand would explore his body without the slightest embarrassment. If it were me, I would have panicked, I would had blushed an intense shade of red, I would have asked him for a more private place to do that sort of thing. What am I thinking? I wanted him to do that to me? To be completely embellished in his arms? To be so submerged into his breath that I wouldn't be able to stop myself? To be so loved that the simplest of touches would send shivers down my spine?

I reddened even more deeply at the thought. My face must have been a mess, all blushed and puffy from crying. I thought nobody had seen me, and I rapidly wiped my face and carried on with my homework. But as I continued, Lily came and sat on the other end of the sofa. She had seen me, and was there hoping that I would tell her what was wrong. I didn't speak up, and at the end of the night, I just picked up my books, said good night and climbed to the girl's dormitories. I knew that it was going to come around and bite me in the ass, one of my cousins seeing me crying was not going to go down without incident. And said and done, the next morning as I was going my way to breakfast, Roxy and Dominique ambushed me at the entrance hall. They dragged me with them to the Gryffindor table and made me sit between them, James in front of us.

"Just spill it, sweetie" Dominique started, she filled her plate with oatmeal and some strawberries.

"There is nothing to spill. What are you talking about?" I feigned, filling my plate with strawberries too.

"You were crying your eyes out last night, Lily told us. She is worried about you, and to tell you the truth, so are we." Roxy said, squeezing my hand.

"It's nothing, I was just a little stressed out because of exams and homework." I said, chewing slowly.

"You? Worried about homework? I don't buy it." James intervened.

"Shut it, James. We are trying to make her talk." Dominique warned.

"Look. There is nothing to worry about." I declared, neither of them had a convinced face. "It was not homework, I admit that. But it's nothing."

"Don't tell me. It's about the guy we talked about in the train?" Roxy suddenly said, her hand going to her mouth in astonishment.

"A guy?!" Dominique squealed, suddenly quite excited.

James grunted in discomfort, but was attentive nevertheless.

"Oh," I said, I was biting back some tears, and I was starting to resign to the fact that maybe it was better if some of my cousins knew. It was not as if I was going to be Scorpius's girlfriend, and talking to somebody about this was certainly going to make me feel a little better.

"Would you promise not to tell anyone else? I don't want anyone, especially him, to find out." I gave up with a big sigh.

"Of course!" Dominique said, lowering her voice to a whisper. James and Roxy assented and scooted a little closer to me. I couldn't believe I was about to confess something that was eating me away since the summer, and to my own cousins. I always figured Scorpius was going to be the first to know, but with what happened that night at the dungeons, I was starting to doubt it.

"I kind of have a crush on someone." I said, hesitating with every word.

"Yes, go on." Dominique encouraged, motioning for me to continue with her hand.

"And he kind of doesn't like me back and has a girlfriend." I concluded, blushing a deeper red than ever, and forking a mouthful of strawberries into my mouth.

"Oh, no. Rosie, have you tell him? I bet it's not like that." Roxy said, trying to make me feel better. James looked really uncomfortable, but nevertheless patted me on the hand that was resting on the table in front of him.

"No, I haven't. But I sort of asked him to…" what exactly had I asked him? To wait for me? To break it off with Tess? I was implying that, wasn't I? I couldn't even remember the exact words I had said.

"To what?" James asked. "Please don't tell me if it's something sexual."

"What?! No!" Dominique, Roxy and I all had a surprised and slightly offended expression on our faces.

"James, could you take your mind out of the gutter?" Roxy asked.

"I'm just saying. I don't need to know."

"You can always leave and let us talk in private!" Dominique reminded him.

"I kind of want to know who it is, though. I don't want to see you get hurt and I-" James started, but I cut him out.

"I don't want to tell you who it is. At least not yet. Right now I just want to climb under a rock and disappear forever. I screwed it up with him. I implied that I wanted him to break it off with his girlfriend for me, and he just left and hasn't talk to me since." I managed to say that with a serious expression and without a single emotion projecting in my voice. Saying it to them and out loud made it feel as if it was something that happened to somebody else.

The rest of breakfast was spent with Roxy and Dominique trying to get every last detail out of me. I just said whatever was not Scorpius related, and continued on eating my breakfast. I was not ready to tell them who he was, I wanted him to be kept secret a little longer, at least until he was not as painful as it was right then. At ten minutes before our first lesson, the girls let me go and I went to arithmancy feeling a bit depressed. Saying it out loud helped me feel kind of better, but it also made me realised how stupid and pathetic my situation was. I was in love with a bloke that was in no way interested in me, and what's more, he was not even single.

And as I walked to class feeling dreadful, James catched up with me.

"Oi, Rosie." he said, grabbing my arm with gentleness. "I guess Albus is out on the secret."

"Yes. He doesn't know anything."

"I figured as much, seeing as they are best buddies and all." James declared, ruffling his unruly black hair with his hand. I was instantly terrified.

"You-you kn… you know who…?"

"Well, it's not hard to put two and two together. I kind of knew something was up since you asked me about Tess the other day, and since the bloke you like has a girlfriend and you have spent a whole load of time with Scorpius and Albus lately… It was not hard to move from a to b." he explained.

"James, I- Please...don't tell them!" Angst was sipping through my voice, and tears were suddenly prickling the back of my eyes.

"Have I ever?" James smirked at me, petting the upper side of my head. "I won't say anything you don't want me to. Just be careful, Rosie. I don't like it when you get hurt. You're like my little sister."

"Oh, James! Thank you!" I hugged him around the waist, burying my face on his chest, letting some tears spill. "I never thanked you for what you've done. You knew about Kevin and now Scorpius and you have never said a thing."

"That's what family do, Rosie." His chin was resting on top of my head, and his arms were wrapped around me.

"What's going on?" I heard Albus's voice from behind us. My head almost snapped trying to locate him, and as I laid eyes on him I realised he was not alone.

"Why are you crying?" Albus asked, worry and anger suddenly appearing in his voice. Scorpius was behind him, peeking over his shoulder to look at me.

"She was a little upset. But she's fine now." James said, hugging me by the shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Scorpius intervened, stepping closer to me and James. I swear I could hear a soft growl emanating from James's chest, but he just answered that everything was alright with his usual cheerful tone.

"I have to go." I said, getting James off my shoulder and stalking towards the arithmancy classroom. I was upset. Seeing Malfoy after those silent days was awful, and knowing he had gotten laid with that slut-Tess, was extremely painful. He had made perfectly clear he was not interested in me, and I was starting to see he would never be. I wanted some days to think before facing him again. If I wanted to continue being friends with Albus, I was going to have to face Scorpius sooner or later.

Three more week went by without me noticing. I was becoming an expert in avoiding the boys, I only saw them in the few classes we had together, and not speaking to them was easy. I paired up with a different person in each class as to maintain myself not available. Albus was a little grouchy in potions as I almost always helped him with his, but avoiding Scorpius meant I had to avoid Albus too. It was kind of breaking my heart, and yet I felt less stressed out in the waking of not talking to him. No more wondering what to say, no more wondering if he liked me back. Maybe I needed to avoid him until my feelings for him passed.

But I couldn't seem to do it. When I glanced up from my cauldron in potions, Scorpius was there, concentrating hard on his potion, his brow frowned and his perfect grey eyes focused on the task ahead. He looked absolutely delicious with his hard chin and his chiseled jaw line. Eying him was becoming sort of a hobby, and as I kept looking, I started to realise certain things I hadn't seen before. Like the way his arms puffed out when he flexed it, or the subtle way his back curved whenever he was writing notes, or the strong manner in which he wielded his wand. Suddenly I understood I was sexually attracted to him. Yes, I already loved him more than I cared to admit, and yet I hadn't actually comprehended that my body ached for him, for the way his long fingers caressed the books he read, or the way his lips pruned whenever he concentrated on something. I wanted those touches, those facial expressions, those marvelous dark grey eyes, to be directed towards me. I wanted to be touched, to be loved, to be so ravenously kissed that I didn't remember my last name.

So I kept looking, waiting for a moment in which my feelings would subside and I could see him as a friend again. And in one of those occasions at the beginning of December, I noticed the wand that was holded by his hand. He had just taken it out in potions to flick it over his Babbling Beverage as the recipe instructed, and I realised it was not the same elegant simple wand he had, it was the scrawly cursed wand we had yet to figure out what was for. He just flicked it over his Beverage and it turned a darker shade of blue, as if it was nothing.

I felt my anger rise, at that moment I was not able to answered why, but by the end of the lesson when he was packing up and Albus was happily chatting with him, I realised I was scared. He had just used a powerful wand with an unknown origin, Ollivander had warned us it could be dangerous and he was using it as if it was the most natural thing to do, I was mad at him for putting himself at risk, and I was not going to stand there and watch him get hurt-or worse, expelled- for using dark magic.

I hurried up my packing up, and with the flick of my wand set all my instruments in place and ran to catch up with them. They were laughing in the corridor, Scorpius had the wand still on his hand, and was conjuring some blue fire dancing in front of them.

"Come with me!" I said a little louder and angrier than what I had intended, I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him away from Albus.

"Oi, Weasley! You are messing up the fun with your tantrums." he said, walking behind me.

"I wouldn't throw a tantrum if you weren't such a dick!" I yelled.

"And it wouldn't kill you to be less like a bitch, you know? There are solutions to your repressed tension. I heard a good shag can cure almost anything." he answered nonchalantly.

I pushed him into a broom cupboard and locked the door behind us, the space was cramper than what I expected and I was forced to pressed myself into the door to look at him to his face. I felt my neck and cheeks redden, and the anger was spilling through my facial features.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked my voice just above a whisper.

"What do you mean, Weasley? I was having a blast until you came along." he was fucking joking! I was about to lose it, and he was there making a joke.

"Fuck off, Malfoy! I'm pretty fucking serious right now! How can you use that and put us all at risk!" I exploded. His smirk faded away and a serious and dumbfounded expression reigned his face.

"I had to." he quietly replied. "It was starting to glow and make weird shit, it even crackled and smoke was oozing out of my trunk, it was getting out of hand. People were going to start noticing. The moment I started using it, it all subsided."

"I don't fucking care! It's dangerous and you can get hurt, and I am not ready to fucking save you if something happen! You always do that, you always think yourself smarter and act as if it's cool to make me worry!"

"What do you mean? I just figured it was safer to use it than to leave it there." he said, he grabbed my arms trying to calm me down and it just made me fueled up even more.

"Don't do that! This is exactly what I'm talking about! You make me worry about your shit and your feelings and in the end of the day you just run away and leave me there all confused and-!" I had said too much, I noticed that my anger was not only because of the wand, and I realised it too late to stop myself.

"Run away? Is it because of that night? That's why you've been avoiding me?" his hands were now on my shoulders, his eyes steady and piercing.

"I didn't meant what I said, so just forget about it." I lied.

"What did you meant? Were you asking me to wait for you? Or were you asking me to wait for somebody else?" Oh Merlin, he was asking me directly. Of course I was asking him to wait for me, but I was not going to let him hurt me any longer.

I laughed out of nervousness and sadness. "I asked you to wait because I didn't want you to make a mistake. But I guess it doesn't matter, right? You are just a bloke, you jumped at the first opportunity you had."

"So you...You don't really care, right? You don't give a fucking damn who I shag, do you?" he heavily sighed, his hand running through his perfect hair. He backed away as far as the wall of the cupboard let him and then he looked at me with those piercing eyes, sending shivers through my spine.

"That's right. I couldn't care less, you're always on my nerves and your jokes are stupid and whenever I look at you I feel the urge to throw up! Don't go near me anymore, alright? I feel disgusted whenever you touch me and I don't want to see your fucking face ever again!" I lashed out. And I knew I was lying through my teeth and things were getting out of hand, but I didn't care, I was hurt and my heart was broken.

"Fine, don't ever talk to me then! You think you are the only one that's always confused and bothered? Then go fuck yourself, Weasley! I don't need your constant yapping and nagging in my ear all day! In fact, I am relieved I don't have to listened to you crap and look at your ugly face ever again!" he had his face contorted in anger, and his fists were clenched at his sides.

I reached for the doorknob and rattled it, I was ready to storm out of there and not speak to him ever again. But the door wouldn't give. I tried again, rattling it with all my might, my departure suddenly losing all the drama. The door wouldn't give.

"What's wrong, Weasley? A little door too much for you?" I could hear Scorpius's smirk in his voice.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" I said. I took out my wand, and aimed at the lock. "Alohomora!" but the door still wouldn't open up.

"It's not locked, it's jammed." Scorpius said, shoving me to the wall to give it a go. He took out his wand and said "Stupefy!"

The red sparks went flying everywhere, bouncing off the door, and some hitting me square on the face. The door still wouldn't bulge and I was even angrier than before and my face was stinging from the hit.

"Fucking Malfoy! A little bloody door too much for you?!" I practically screamed.

"Alright, go back, I'll take it down." He declared, positioning himself to hit the door.

"Are you mental? You are just going to hurt yourself." I said, resting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"And since when do you care about that?" he said, bitterly.

"That's the point, isn't it? I don't want you to get hurt, I don't want you using that fucking wand again." I said, looking at him straight to the eyes. As much as I was mad at him for the time being, I was still in love with the git, and having him injured was out of the question.

"Don't try to control me, Weasley. You are not the boss of me, and I'm getting a bit tired of you poking your nose when you're not called." he said, shoving my hand away.

"Excuse me for trying to be your friend!" I backed away to the farest wall (being in the smallest cupboard in Hogwarts meant I was at most half a meter away from him.) and rested my back on it, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Being a friend means you don't confuse me, and you stay away from my sex life." he said, facing me and resting his back on the door.

"Confuse you?"

"Come on, Weasley. You were flirting, and then you asked me to stop seeing Tess and the only reason was that you wanted to exert control over my life. Let it go, not everything goes according to your plans, and I'm sorry if Tess was not to your liking but-"

"What?" shit, why would he think something like that? True, I was flirting, but I never tried to control him, in fact, I never said I wanted him to break up with her (although I was hoping he did.) "I don't try to control you!"

"Yes, right, I forgot you are Miss Perfect." Scorpius rolled his eyes at me and continued with the irritated expression.

"You are the one that's confusing me! Don't you see! The only reason I-I was flirting but-You made me believe-For Merlin's sake!" I felt tears accumulate at the back of my eyes. He was being really unfair and I was not able to explain without looking like a fool.

"So you admit it! You did it on purpose! You were flirting to confuse me and manipulate me and-"

"No!" I yelled. I couldn't control myself, the tears and the words just spilled out of my face without me noticing. "I did it because I love you!" I buried my tears and my pride in my hands, trying to hide the embarrassment and the guilt from showing. Scorpius was quiet, my weeping and my breathing hoarding all the sound in the tiny room.

It felt like forever, time stretching to a point in which I feared I had ruined everything between us. He was going to take down the door and go away, running from my uncorresponded feelings. But after what seemed hours, his hand found it's way to my hair, and the other to my shoulder, pulling me in for a hug. His long and slender arms encircling my shivering figure and his heartbeat pounding madly inside his chest. I didn't dare speak up as I dreaded this moment would come to an end and the cold truth of him not loving me back would come crashing over me.

He separated from me slowly, searching my face and finally lifting it up with his hand under my chin. He was a blurry vision as my tears kept spilling from my eyes, and I watched him gently come closer, his lips slightly parted. He was going to kiss me, and I was tempted to let him. But the fact that I was as confused as ever made me react.

"You have a girlfriend." I whispered, my face reddening and burying it again on his chest.

He laughed. A throaty laugh he used whenever he was really amused and excited. He holded me tighter against him, and rested his chin on the top of my head, slowly breathing in.

"I broke up with Tess about-when was the night you asked me to wait?-about a month ago." he responded, caressing my back with his palm.

"What?" I felt my heart hammering against my rib cage, a surge of hope and excitement fluttering in my belly. I looked up to see him. "Why?"

"You really have to ask, Rose? I kind of did it for you." he blushed, his eyes steady on mine. "Because you make me mad, and yet I can't stop thinking about you. You irritate me, and then you just smile and take it all away. I hate you for it, and then again…" he trailed off, his face reddening even more.

I cupped his face with my hand, caressing his jaw and feeling as nervous as ever. Was Scorpius really telling me he was in love with me? It wasn't a dream, right? I lifted myself on tiptoes, resting my other hand on his shoulder, leveling my face with his. He holded me tighter around my waist, pressing me to him. I closed my eyes, I fucking wanted Scorpius Malfoy to kiss me, and at that moment everything else was fading away, becoming irrelevant.

He closed the space between us, his lips crashing into mine, sending tiny shivers through my spine. I had never been kissed like that, my breath was escaping my lungs and my heart was hammering intensely as his lips parted mine and his tongue slid in. I clenched to his neck, getting even closer to him. I wanted to melt into him, breathing heavily and kissing ravenously, exploring each other's mouth like an unknown land.

The tenderness of that kiss was as dazzling and as confusing as one could be. I was kissing Scorpius Malfoy and he seemed to be thinking the same, as he smiled into our kiss, out teeth bumping slightly. He laughed sweetly and continued ravishing my mouth. His hands went to my face, holding it into place, locking our lips and pulling me feverishly into him. He didn't seem to want to stop, and neither did I, and we could have gone on forever, for not Albus's voice on the other end of the door.

"Oi, Scor, has Rose murdered you already?" we both snapped out of it, jumping away as if someone had electrified our bodies. We looked with hazy expressions at each other, and pounded at the door at the same time, yelling to Albus that we were stuck inside.

"Wow, calm down! I'll try something, get away from the door." he warned, stupefying the door a couple times. Malfoy grabbed my hand and squeezed it, letting go when the door gave in, and Albus's smiling face greeted us on the other side.

"Did she tortured you or something in there?" Albus jokingly asked Scorpius, laughing and walking away from the closet.

"You have no idea, mate." Scorpius answered, winking at me, and then rushing to catch up with Albus.


	10. Chapter 10: Falling in Love with the Ene

Chapter 10: Falling in Love with the Enemy

Fuck, she was really soft. Her skin was milk and her tiny freckles lightened up the room. She was a drug I was not getting enough of, and she just taunted me with those smiles and those perfect plumped lips. She was doing it on purpose, I could tell, secretly batting her lashes at me and then feigning hatred and taking a row with me before class. She was a master when it came down to torment me, and I couldn't believe how easily I always came into her traps. She was the sun, and I was revolving around her like my life depended on it.

Rose was sitting there, all perfection and crazy hair, her eyes focused entirely on the page before her, her index finger following the line she was reading. Her sweet mouth moving and dictating the words on the book to me, trying to make me interested on the subject at hand. But I couldn't concentrate in anything else that wasn't her creamy skin and her piercing blue eyes. She was becoming my whole world and very fast.

I rested a hand on her thigh, claiming with it my rightful place as her boyfriend (secret boyfriend, but boyfriend at last), sliding it up ever so slowly. I felt her jump at the sudden contact, and yet her lips only turned up into a shy smile and kept reading the words to me. My hand advanced a little further up, and just a couple centimeters shy of her undergarments, she placed a hand over mine, kindly stopping my ministrations. Her face was blushed and her smile was consistently in place.

"Not here, and not now. At least not yet." she whispered. Whatever happened to my shy and conservative Rose I was yet to find out as her shyness seemed to have slowly faded away this past couple weeks. She interlaced her fingers into mine and shoved the book a bit more into my face. "Pay attention, this is important."

"You are the only thing I want to pay attention to." I said, smirking.

"Very amusing, Mr. Malfoy. But we are here for another purpose and if you're good and behave I might let you snog me later." she concluded, glancing back to the book before us. Damn, she could be sexy as hell when she wanted to.

"It's that a promise?" I hummed into her ear, squeezing her hand and making her shiver slightly. She giggled the sweetest laugh I heard on my life and she turned her head to kiss me lightly on the lips.

"I won't promise anything until you pay attention to what I'm saying." she concluded, facing the page again.

"There is no way some lame story about my great grand uncle is going to be as amusing as you, love." I said in a husky voice. We had been making out for the last two weeks in secret places, not a soul was to know about us, and I couldn't be more delighted. It was the perfect scenario in which no member of mine or her family intended to murder me, and I still got Rose. So being in a confined space like this empty classroom at 10 at night send throbbing signals automatically to my member. She was incredibly hot, and I was starting to get aroused just by looking at her. This thing about doing the right thing and not losing my virginity to Tess was starting to take a toll on my hormones. I was as horny as ever, and being with Rose was not making anything easier.

"Just be serious for some minutes, ok? I think this is interesting, and you may think that wand just wanted to come out and play, but I still mind you using it without fully knowing what it's meant for." she said, oblivious to the wand reference she just made and the reaction it had in my dirty mind. I sighed heavily.

"I know." I finally agreed. "You're right. It's just hard to concentrate when you are around. I really like you."

"And I like you too, so let's get this out of the way, alright?" she said, licking her lips and getting back to the piece at hand. "This guy, your great grand uncle or whatever, I think he was onto something. I don't believe the wand was made for him, it's just that I find it odd that sometimes in your family history one or two Malfoys go the good way, and then I found this note about him having a powerful way in his charms and dueling. It may not be anything, but it's worth checking it out."

"I don't get it. What do you mean going the good way?"

"Well, one of your relatives tried to marry a muggle once, and your family disapproved of it and kind of put him away when nobody could find him. Creepy, I know." she said, feigning a shiver and squeezing my hand tighter. "And this bloke, Fornax Malfoy, you great grand uncle or something, he tried to marry a muggle born and he fought for her rights in the Malfoy family, he had to literally duel the patriarch of the family, and they let him marry, but didn't allow him to have any descendants as he was going to stain the family name."

"And what does it have to do with the wand?" I asked, trying to connect the dots together.

"Nothing, or maybe something, I don't know. It doesn't even mention the wand in here. But get this, it does mention Fornax's marvelous abilities to duel and his powerful ability in charms and spells that potentially saved his life and permitted him to marry, although he never received formal training in dueling. I think that's suspicious. And what's more, something awful happened, his wife became pregnant and the rest of the family tried to murder the unborn baby."

"You got all this from this book?" I asked, suddenly fearing the outcome.

"Most of it, but I had to look for Fornax's name in several other books we brought from the Manor to actually get the pieces together." she declared nonchalantly. "Listen, the baby didn't die. He protected his family, and they managed to escape, it's a disgrace for the Malfoy family, and they changed their names so the family wouldn't find them."

"I'm relieved. So you think the wand protected them?"

"Yes. Well, we haven't considered this possibility yet." she said tentatively.

"Which one?"

"What if the wand it's not for something evil? What if it's not for bewitching you future fianceé and deem her worthy of the Malfoy name as my mum suggested? After reading this, and if Fornax was using it when he married his wife, I believe it may be for quite the opposite. Maybe it's for you to fight and marry someone the family wouldn't consider worthy but you do." she blushed.

"But-" I wanted to think about this a little more before actually believing it. It didn't make enough sense for me to actually believe it first hand. Why would the wand had appeared to me? I hadn't thought about marriage yet, I wasn't even 17, for crying out loud!

"Why now?" I asked, more to myself than to Rose.

"Maybe, it was the ideal time to start fighting." she said, shyly looking at my face.

"But...when I first stumbled over the wand, I had just started going out with Tess." I said, bleaching a little. Was she the one I had to fight for? I wasn't feeling like it, not after finally having Rose with me.

She fell silent too, I could tell she didn't like the idea. And I was suddenly in a hurry to know more about it. I couldn't ask my dad, he was as useful in Malfoy history as Albus could be, after the war, he wanted nothing to do with the family or even my grandfather. The only other Malfoy we heard about was my grandmother once or twice a year. Plus, having him knowing that I was using a wand with a sketchy origin was out of the question.

"I have to go." I said, wanting to get away and think about all of this. I needed more information, and I wanted it asap, before I did something wrong or make a bad decision.

"Oh." Rose said, worry and sadness flooding her features. "I'll talk to you later, then."

I hadn't meant to worry her, but I was desperate to get answers, and I figured who else would be interested in feeding them to me, if not for my grandmother. True, she was technically married to a Malfoy and not a Malfoy herself, but she must know something about it. This big of a scandal as the Malfoy's infame history wouldn't go unnoticed by her, and as she was the only one in speaking terms with me, I thought I had a shot at finding the truth.

I immediately ran to the owlery. In a folded piece of parchment I had in the pocket of my robes, I wrote a quick message to my grandmother. I tried to make it sound as urgent as possible, I couldn't wait months for her reply, but I also wanted her to understand that this needed to be kept secret:

 _Dear Grandmum,_

 _Something's come up, I need to talk to you in private as soon as possible. Please, don't tell my dad._

 _Best wishes, Scorpius._

She was my only hope for the moment, and I was in helpless need for answers. How come this thing suddenly turned so serious? I was not ready to assume this responsibility, and yet, I needed to know all the fact because I still felt the urge to use the wand.

The next morning I was hoping to explain things to Rose, I wanted her in on the secret, but the first person I saw was not her. Albus came strutting towards me, a scowl on his face and his wand at the ready on his right hand.

Since the first time Rose and I kissed on that tiny broom cupboard, I had dreaded spending time with Albus. It had become hard to conceal my happiness from him, I could live without telling him anything, but my goofy grin whenever we talked about Rose had the ability to completely tip off Albus, specially since he already knew about my feelings for her.

"Come with me!" he said, anger radiating from his eyes.

"Al? I swear to Merlin I have done nothing to Rose." I said, half mockingly.

"It's not about you, you git." he said, dragging me around back up the stairs and to the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room.

"What are we doing?" I asked, hunger suddenly exploding inside my belly.

"Quick, hide!" Albus exclaimed, pulling me behind a tapestry that hanged all the way to the floor.

"Albus, what the fuck-" I started. I had bumped my elbow with the rock wall and after his pushes I had landed on the floor of what appeared to be a secret passage.

"Shush! I need to hear this!" he whispered in a furious manner.

I sat there on the floor quietly, until I could hear Lily's voice carrying to where we were hiding. She sounded breathy and giggly, and then a male's voice carried too.

"Who the fuck are you?" Albus whispered, trying to peek from behind the tapestry.

"Albus, fuck, that's your sister!" I whispered. This was ridiculous, he was spying on her, trying to find out who she was dating. I felt really stupid sitting there on the cold floor, spying on a 14 year old.

I stood on my feet and peeked from behind the tapestry too, and what I saw left me incapable of muster another word. Lily was facelocked with a bloke who looked at least two years older than her, she had her hands on his hair, and the guy was dangerously wandering into Lily's shirt. I just had time to get a hold on Albus's robes before he could go out there and kicked the poor bloke's ass. He was sending me murderous glances, but he stood there behind the tapestry with me. And after what seemed an eternity, we heard Lily's voice asking the bloke to stop. The guy grunted and then we heard footsteps going away. Albus immediately broke free from the tapestry and began shouting cused words at the air.

"What the hell were you doing?!" came a voice from behind us, Lily was still there, watching as we got out from our hiding spot.

"What were _you_ doing?! You are a little girl! Why are you letting that fucking wanker feel you up?!" Albus screamed at her.

"Excuse me?! That wanker happens to be my boyfriend! And I am not a little girl!" she screamed back at him. She walked to the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room and entered, slamming the door behind her.

"Did you fucking see that? That guy was taking advantage of her! If you hadn't been there I-"

"You would have kicked his ass. I know. But, Albus, it's your sister, couldn't you give her some credit, maybe she has fallen in love." I asked tentatively.

"You mental?! She's just a kid she can't be in love. And any fucker who tries something with my little sister is as good as death! I need to find out who he is. I bet Rose knows." he went into his ranter, jogging back down to the Great Hall.

"You can't act like that every time one of your female relatives get a boyfriend!" I said after him.

"It's not all of them, it's mostly with Lily, Rose and Roxy. The other ones are older than me and they are James's, Fred's and Teddy's problem. I just deal with those three and Hugo helps me deal with Lily. In fact, I have to let him know about this as soon as I see him." he explained, still jogging to find Rose.

"You guys are sick." I concluded, jogging alongside him.

"We are just looking out for them, all blokes want to get near them, they're heroes' daughters, specially Lily and Rose." he said, entering the Great Hall.

Rose was sitting at the Ravenclaw table reading a book, her cute face screwed up in concentration, her fork elevated midair. Albus ran to her, sitting in front of her, and I sat beside her, smiling in an apologetic way. Was she mad at me for leaving her the night before? I took a plate and started to fill it up with breakfast. She looked at me with unsure eyes and then addressed Albus and his disheveled appearance.

"What's going on?"

"I'll tell you! Lily thinks she has gotten herself a boyfriend, and I want to know who he is so I can go and kill him!" Albus said, punching the table for dramatic effect. Rose rolled her eyes.

"He is indeed her boyfriend, and I won't tell you who he is." she concluded, her eyes drifting back to her book.

"Come on, Rose. You know she is not allowed to have a boyfriend."

"Says who?!" she exclaimed.

"Us. Me and Scor and James and Hugo and everybody." he said, signaling to the Gryffindor table.

"No, don't get me into this. I think it's fine!" I said, defending myself.

"You are in no authority to decide that!" she said to her cousin.

"It's the law, sorry. Neither you or Roxy or Lily are allowed to have boyfriends. And if there is a bloke who so much as touches you he is as good as dead." he concluded. I bleached a little and I saw Rose flashing me a look for the tiniest of seconds.

"You can kick his ass and make his life miserable, but as long as you oppose, Lily is not going to lose interest. That's going to make her just like him more. And they have been together for almost a month, I think he really likes her. Please, don't interfere." she said.

"Could you just tell me who it is!" Albus exclaimed, he was getting desperate. "I promise I won't punch him, I just want to look out for my baby sister."

Rose sighed. "Fine, but you have to promise you won't hurt him, or Lily would never forgive neither of us."

"I promise." Albus crossed his heart.

"His name is Paul Parker and he is a seventh year in Ravenclaw."

"Seventh?! Oh, no. That's too much! She is a fourth year, for Merlin's sake!" Albus stood up. "Are you coming, Scor? This ought to be good."

"Nah, I'll just hang here for a while, we have some things to discuss." I declared, shoving some eggs in my mouth.

"Things? Alright, I'll tell you how it went later." he said, stalking away from the table.

"You promised not to hurt him!" Rose said after him, but Albus was already outside the door.

"So...things?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yeah. I thought we could go and _discuss_ in a more private place." I said suggestively.

"Oh." she said in a small voice. Her face looked relieved and her eyes darted back to her food.

"What's wrong?" I asked, maybe she was indeed mad at me and I was not prepared to hurt Rose.

"Nothing," she said, lifting her face and smiling broadly at me. "I thought-It doesn't matter."

"Tell me, Weasley." I said, grabbing her hand under the table.

"I thought you-that maybe you wouldn't want to be with me anymore." she whispered.

"Why on earth would I do that?" I laughed out of nervousness.

"Because of the wand." she said, closing her book and slipping it inside her bag. She smiled sweetly at me and stood up. "You coming?"

I stood up immediately, leaving my half eaten breakfast and following her outside. She was swaying her hips side to side in a really suggestive way, and glancing back once in awhile, making sure I was looking at her. She had lied to me, she did know how to flirt and she was making a hot mess about it. I could feel it in my pants, and my heart was fluttering in excitement.

We got into one of the cupboards on the second floor, I magically locked the door behind me and before I could even end the spell, Rose's hands intertwined on my waist, hugging me from behind. It was a rather intimate thing to do, and I was caught off guard. She had never hugged me that way, and I could feel her respiration slowing down relishing the moment. She didn't spoke up for the longest time. After awhile she buried her face on my back and snuggled, giggling. I felt it safe to turn around and facing her I could see the brightest smile a girl had ever given me, her dimples clearly showing and her eyes glinting.

"What's going on?" I asked, a huge smile creeping to my face too. She shook her head and went to kiss me, holding my face to make me meet hers. I quickly grabbed her waist, getting her closer to me. For some strange reason her kiss was like home, a home which I had never been to, where you could taste the sunshine and smell the grass. She was intoxicating me with love, and I felt the need to respond to it, to tell her I felt exactly the same way.

Finally she broke apart, her smile still in place and her emotions showing in her eyes. She backed away from the door to the only shelf in the tiny room and jumped up to sit on it, sending brooms and buckets to the floor. I catched up with her, inserting myself between her legs, and caressing her bare thighs with my fingertips. She shudder, grabbing me by the robes and pulling me closer. She kissed me again, this time more urgent than last time, and begging me to open my mouth so she could insert her tongue. I complied, roaming her back and hips with my hands, she clenched her hands to the back of my neck, and her fingers digging at the nape. She moaned into my mouth, making me pull her hips a bit into me, and she jumped slightly from the contact. She separated from me and directed a sly smile to my groin. Yes, I was really turned on.

She laughed, kissing me harder than before, sending even more boiling blood to my nether region. Her hands were sliding down my front, exploring with her fingertips my chest and my abdomen. Her breath became erratic and her legs enclosed my hips, pressing her sweet center to my erection. She was becoming too much to bare. I fought with the impulse of touching her more than I should, my slacks were getting way too small, and she was getting way too hot. This needed to end soon, or else I was going to lose myself.

"Rose." I hotly said into her mouth. She moaned in response, but broke apart, breathing heavily and resting her forehead on my shoulder.

"What's gotten into you, baby?" I asked trying to catch my breath and caressing her back.

"Nothing," she whispered. "I'm relieved."

"About what?"

"About you. You know, being here with me." she concluded, burying her face on my chest.

"Where else would I be?" I asked, confused.

"With Tess." her voice came muffled and constrained.

"What? Not in a million years, Rose. I want to be with you, I don't care about the wand or the history or whatever you might think happened with my great granduncle. I want only you." I laughed.

She turned to look at me with big blue eyes, her gaze completely struck with love. She smiled, and kissed me again full on the lips. I could get use to this Rose, to the one that will always showed me the love she was feeling in oppose to the one that always bickered and confused me with her retorts. She was a fine insulting weapon when she wanted to, but she was the most docile and loving creature on this planet whenever we were alone. I could tell she was falling in love with me, and by that point I was way passed in love. I completely loved her, she was my whole world, and even though I had felt this way about her for the longest time, in that moment I realised there was no turning back. I was tied down to her for life.

"You better." she concluded, hugging me by the waist and burying her face again on my chest.

At the middle of December people were starting to get things packed up. Albus immediately asked me if I wanted to go to Godric's Hollow for Christmas. I didn't need to be persuaded to spend my winter holidays in close vicinity to Rose. I send word to my father about the plan, and a simple one liner was what I got as a response.

 _Come home for new years. There's news._

Cryptic as always my father was. And cryptic too was my grandmother. I hadn't gotten word from her, and I was beginning to fear she had told somebody I was secretly seeking her advice. Rose said she better answer while I was at Godric's Hollow, as the Manor was a difficult place to maintain a secret. She was right, there were house elves that snoop and my mother that always questioned about everything. There was no sense of privacy in that place I called home, and at least at Godric's Hollow I had Rose and Albus to decipher anything that could be of relevance.

At the very last day at Hogwarts, Albus came and sat down at the Slytherin table. He was mysterious about something, and took out a book before piling food on his plate.

"What are you? Rose?" I asked, mockingly pointing at the book before him.

"Very amusing, jackass. No." he said, opening the book to a certain page. "I have to talk to you about something."

Rose came to the table too, looking cheerful and flushed from our earlier encounter at the dungeons. I smiled at her and she beamed at me. Albus turned around to face her, and she quickly reverted to her usual shy smile.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all over." Albus said, motioning to her to sit down.

"Sorry. I was busy." she said.

"Anyway," Albus continued. "I have to talk to you both. I took this book out of the library a couple days ago, as I realised I have only one and a half years left here and I needed to take seriously what I want to do after. Gringotts it's my dream since we were, what?, 9? and Uncle Bill told us those awesome stories."

"Yes?" Rose asked bored by his rambling.

"And then I saw this." Albus announced, flipping the book to me and showing me some runes.

"What are they?" I asked, unimpressed.

"Don't you recognise them? Of course not, who am I kidding?" he said, rolling his eyes at me. "Look at them, this runes are on the wooden box."

"What?!" I spat at him, a little too loud. Rose turned the book to see them too.

"I thought you were no longer interested." I said.

"Not really. But I was having trouble with them, so I asked Aunt Hermione. And this is getting interesting again."

"What did mum said?" Rose asked, really impressed.

"This one," said Albus, signaling a large rune in the middle of the page. "means something along the lines of impossible love."

"And this one?" asked Rose.

"That one means blood." Albus concluded pleased with himself.

"Impossible love and blood? That could mean anything." I said.

"Well, I'd have to see the box again. I am sure the order the runes are placed on it is important. We just haven't had the chance to decipher them." Albus scratched his head, his argument losing force.

"No. This is right. I think we are onto something. There definitely is a connection." Rose said, enigmatically.

"What is she talking about?" Albus asked me, looking confused by his cousin.

Rose stood up, and without saying goodbye stalked away, muttering to herself. I shrugged to Albus, and murmuring that I'll fill him in later, I stood up and followed Rose. I knew she was going to the library, and I catched up with her at the empty hallway that led to it.

"Oi, don't leave like that. You look like a crazy person." I teased, slipping my fingers into hers.

"Oh, shut up, I just need to check some facts about that Fornax fellow." she said, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Let it rest for awhile, I don't need to know just yet." I said, stopping her. I was not ready to face it. Or more likely I was not ready to let go of Rose if the wand demanded it.

"But I-" she started, but I cut her off with a kiss. My lips crashed over hers, and she immediately backed away.

"What are you doing? Somebody could see us." she said, alarm and fear on her eyes.

I realised we were close to the passage Albus and I had used to hide from Lily and her boyfriend and went and dragged Rose behind the large tapestry. She complied, and for a minute she forgot about going to the library in the first place.

"I just want to kiss you, is that so wrong?" I asked her, pressing her to the hard stone wall.

"It is when one of my cousins could see us." she said, pulling me from my robes to kiss me.

"Scor, I realised I didn't say it when I was supposed to." she began, looking down after breaking our kiss. "I just want you to know that whatever the wand is made for, I want to stay by your side too."

I hugged her as tightly as humanly possible. Love was radiating from my insides.

"I love you." I said without thinking. It had come so naturally, and I really felt it deep inside my chest. My lips parted and my breath caught internally waiting for her response. I could feel her tense up, and after what seemed an eternity she spoke up.

"I was starting to fear you would never say it. I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11: The Love that Changed Perspe

**A/N: Sorry for the super late update. But here is a nice long smutty chapter for your entertainment. Enjoy, and please review, I really could use some feedback! Thank you!**

Chapter 11: The Love Which Changed Perspectives

 _Oh sweet Merlin, this is not me. Who am I then? Am I not enjoying this?_ , my mind always went into overdrive every time he kissed me like that. And in fact, I was completely and immensely smittened by his devilish kisses. I could feel it in my heart throbbing the way it did, and the moans escaping my lips and the pouncing heat between my legs. But I always tried and play it cool inside my head.

He had me pinned to the grass in the tiny forest behind Uncle Harry's house. The ground around us was covered in a thin layer of snow, and yet we were lying down and he had my coat opened and my sweater ridden up to just below my boobs. The chilly air made my nipples go rock hard and he kept pressing his palms to them. He kissed my neck and my jawline, and I kept scratching his bare back with my fingernails. He moaned into my lips and I could feel him ripping his abdomen in an effort not to dry humped me. I placed my hands on his bum and he shivered slightly, but kept kissing my earlobe and neck. I pulled him towards me, stroking his shaft to my womanhood. He pressed his jaw shut together and stopped his ministrations.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at his piercing grey eyes.

"Nothing," he mumbled, but straightened up and sat down on the grass and blushed. "If we continue, things might get embarrassing for me."

I laughed out loud, feeling ecstatic about my boyfriend being so turned on by me that he couldn't control himself. I sat down on the grass too, rearranging my clothes and getting sticks and snow out of my hair.

"It's not funny, you dufus." Scorpius said, sounding mildly offended.

"I'm sorry, Scor. I'm just really happy." I told him truthfully. He smirked at me, and then it slowly faded away. Something was bothering him, and I could guess it had to do with what we had been doing. I knew that he was sex crazy and wanted to end his virginity as soon as possible, and I kind of wanted it too, but a month and a half of relationship was not enough time to do it. I needed it to be longer, just to make completely sure he loved me.

"Are you fine with us?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean? I just told you I'm really happy, silly." I said, scooting closer to him.

"I mean, I understand if you want to tell people about...us. I think I can endure your cousin's scrutiny and I can talk to you father and…" _what?_ I was in love with him, but telling everyone was out of the question for me. Or was it not? I had not thought about it, and it suddenly dawned on me that Scorpius was seriously thinking about me becoming a permanent thing in his life. My heart melted a little, and I realised that maybe telling everyone was not going to be as hard nor as that much in the future as I had first thought.

"I don't want us to tell people just yet." I said, holding his hand.

"Are you sure? I mean, your father is right there and-" he continued.

"Do you want to tell them?" I cut him out.

"I love you." he solemnly said, his ears reddening. "I'll do anything for you."

"Then, you will not tell them yet." I said.

"Then when?" he asked, squeezing my hand.

"I don't know. When I feel like it." I declared, making a move to stand up.

"And when will that be?" he pressed again.

"What do you want me to tell you, Scorpius? I don't know!" I felt angry all of a sudden, I didn't appreciate him pushing me like that. "For Merlin's sake, I love you too, but we haven't even seen each other naked. I don't know if this will last. And I don't want to impose in my family with this relationship if it will not."

"You mean you are not sure if you'll love me tomorrow." he declared, standing up too, and a sad scowl forming in his features. Shit, how could a normal conversation turn sour in a matter of seconds? Didn't he understand that I was not the problem? He was, he was the one who sure was going to change his mind, I wasn't even sure he loved me the way I did. He couldn't be mad about it.

"You are putting words in my mouth, I never said that." I said, my voice just above a whisper.

"It's fine, Rose. I guess me being a Malfoy is always an issue and I get it if you are not thrill to tell people about it." he said, trying to sound calm, but failing completely.

"I never said that." I stepped closer to him. That was what was bothering him. He could be so transparent sometimes that it made me want to protect him. "It's not about you being a Malfoy. You could be a Johnson for all I cared, and I will still feel the same way."

"But I am not a Johnson, and you know your family won't like it." he declared, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Scor, the only reason I don't want to tell them it's because I really am not sure if this will last. I don't know if _you_ will love me tomorrow." I said, blushing at the sudden truth that was coming out of my mouth.

He hugged me, his arms tightening around me. His heartbeat was fast and loud and I could still feel the remnants of his erection pressing against my belly botton. I was starting to like it, getting used to it always poking me.

"Of course I will." he said.

"But I can't be sure, right? You say you've liked me and loved me for the longest time, and yet you were with Tess a large part of the year. How can I really be sure I am not the next Tess?" I said, the insecurity I was feeling creeping to my mouth.

"What do you want me to do? I'll prove it!" he said, tightening his hug even more.

"How?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something. But I will definitely do it. There is no other girl out there for me, Rose. You are the only one I've loved and the one I want to be stuck with." he said, separating from our hug so he could see into my eyes.

"Alright." I softly said. He grabbed my hand and guided me back to the house. Everyone was playing Exploding Snap in James's room when Scorpius and I left, and all the adults were in the kitchen getting the food ready for that day's Christmas celebrations. As we went through the back door and into the kitchen every adult focused their attention to us.

"Where have you been?" asked my dad as furious as ever.

"Calm down, daddy, I was showing Scorpius the giant almond tree on the back part of the forest." I said to him in a relaxed way. The said almond tree had been there when Voldemort attacked Uncle Harry's family, and a spell had crashed into it, and somebody had bewitched it to keep growing in spite of the war scar it bared. It was a solemn sight and one Scorpius had missed the summer before. I showed it to him, alright, but we also hotly made out a couple of meters beside it.

"Oh, wonderful!" Aunt Ginny quipped in. "Al didn't went with you?"

"No, he was playing Exploding Snap with Fred and James." Scorpius said, taking his large overcoat off.

"Don't go running around on your own. I want to keep an eye on you." dad said to Scorpius, he colored a little.

"Ron! You are embarrassing him. I'm sure they'll be fine. Stop acting so childish." mum intervened.

"Hermione, I'm only looking out for the kids. What's wrong with that?"

"Well, they are not kids anymore, Rose is a lady and she can take care of herself, and I am sure they weren't doing anything wrong." mum said.

"Oi, you are not making me feel better, woman!"

"Hey." Albus was standing by the stairs, signaling to us to come his way. Scorpius and I left my mum and dad arguing, while Uncle Harry sighed and Aunt Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Something arrived while you were gone." Albus said to Scorpius, motioning for his room. Albus's room was spacious with a queen size bed, large cabinets, and a large desk where a bunch of parchment and books were lying around. He had a double couch on the far end, and a large window showed the white sky. I sat down on the couch and Scorpius flopped down beside me, making Albus sit on the bed.

"Is this what you've been waiting for?" he asked, showing a yellowed envelope with a scrawny and stuck up lettering in front. "A really gallant owl delivered it."

"Yes, that's grandmum." Scorpius said, taking the envelope from Albus, he ripped apart the envelope and read the letter with no time to lose. After it he handed it to us and took out a parchment and quill to write an answer.

 _Don't worry, my child. Any secret is safe with me, ask away and I'll do my best to answer. Mind, I am an old woman now and the only truth I will be able to shed is what I can remember. I hope this letter does not forebode bad news as I will not be able to take it._

 _Love, Narcissa._

"Why did she took so long?" I asked, looking up from the letter. "You asked her to talk to you weeks ago."

"I think she was afraid. My grandfather is not exactly a nice person. If he knew I wanted to talk to grandmum in private he would flip. And that last part, I think she was also afraid of bad news. She has had a fair share of those over the years." Scorpius said, scrawling his questions as fast as he could.

He sent the letter with Brodwin, the Potter's owl, and then we parted to get ready for the family dinner. Two hours later, I was dressed and ready to go to the Potter's cottage again, I was hyper from Scorpius's kisses from that afternoon and there was nothing I wanted more than to see him again. I was at the kitchen, my coat over my shoulders and my high heels clicking away from going to and fro.

"A little impatient are we not?" my dad asked. He had come down without me noticing and sat down at the kitchen table. He was wearing a large overcoat over his dress robes, he had a red and gold necktie and his messy red hair was sticking out in all directions, giving him a boyish look instead of a formal one.

"You know, food, cousins, presents. Christmas is always a grand event in the family." I said, sitting down beside him.

He looked at me, and then with big rounded eyes, he asked: "Is that what you are wearing?"

"Yes. What's wrong with it?"

"What's wrong…? Honey, you are showing way too much! I can see...everything!"

"What are you talking about?!" I exclaimed, covering myself with the coat. My little red dress was the only decent and sexy thing I had. It was fitted to my petite frame and it had a nice cleavage that I liked to think revealed just enough.

"Go change, please." he sighed.

"No." I said, resolutely. "I think this dress is fine."

"Rose, everybody is going to be looking at you." my dad said, disgust emanating from his face.

"I think that's nice once in awhile." I whispered.

He was having a fit. He started saying how boys can be at his age, how it was important to be a respectable young woman because boys are always after one thing alone, how what I wear affected how boys looked at me, and that I was not to date until I was 30 and anything before that was too much for him to bare. He stood up and started pacing the kitchen, flinging his arms in the air as his speech continued. Eventually his ranting attracted mum, and she scolded at him for being such a dork and overreacting about everything. She smiled at me sweetly, told me my dress was just fine and I looked very pretty.

Any teenager would get confused because of this contradicting messages my parents were giving, but knowing dad, he was indeed overreacting. Nevertheless, I kept fumbling with my coat on the way to Uncle Harry's. Outside was fine, as my coat and scarf were covering almost everything, in fact the coat covered down to my knees. But I started to get self conscious about my outfit and how would the rest of the family react to it. Maybe it was too revealing for a family gathering, maybe I was indeed sending the wrong signals with it. What if Scorpius thought I dressed like a tramp?

Dad knocked on the door and Aunt Ginny answered, apparently we were the first ones to arrive as everyone else was flooing in. We all gathered at the living room, Uncle Harry handing a firewhiskey to dad, and then both slouched to have a conversation about the new Aurors they were training. Hugo greeted Lily and they both sat down on the opposite couch to swap chocolate frog cards, a thing they did since they were really little. Mum and Aunt Ginny went into the kitchen, and I suddenly realised I was standing alone in the middle of the large living room with my coat still on. I walked to one of the sofas beside the chimney and as I was going to sit down I noticed that the temperature was rising. The chimney was soaring and I was dreading taking off my coat. Why hadn't I just listened to dad?

I moved to the other end of the living room, towards a corridor that connected to the large dining area. Albus and Scorpius then came down the stairs, James following. They were laughing about some matter and I went to stand beside them. I was feeling really uncomfortable and the temperature was still rising. If I didn't take it off in the near future I was going to start sweating. Scorpius looked at me in a funny way and smiled faintly. He knew something was up, but didn't dare to ask with the room full.

"Sweetie, why haven't you taken your coat off?" Aunt Ginny asked from the kitchen door, she was holding a large serving tray with small, colorful snacks on it.

"Ehrm-" I felt myself colored. "I'm still a little cold."

"Really? You look like you are boiling." Albus called, inspecting my face.

"Fuck off." I whispered.

"Just take it off, honey. I bet you'll feel warm in an instant." my mum quipped in.

"You should have changed, now you are going to feel uncomfortable all evening." dad called out from the couch. I felt my blush deepening, and I was starting to regret this night all together. I unbuttoned my coat slowly, and took it off feeling dreadful. I was embarrased to the core and I just wanted to disappear. Dad shook his head when it was all off, and muttered something like: _told you it was too much._

"I think she is beautiful." Scorpius said out loud. Every set of eyes went to him. He smiled at me, and the whole room fell silent, even Lily and Hugo stared in his direction. My dad was about to say something, he had the anger filling up his features and he was ready to stand up and pounce on him for saying that to his little girl, but right then, green flames exploded in the chimney and Uncle George came climbing out, a bunch of fireworks going off at his entrance and the whole attention went to him and the rest of the family that came in.

Scorpius squeezed my hand briefly and winked at me, my face started to burn up, and it was that moment when I realised he really cared about me. He was risking his own neck by telling me I was beautiful in front of my dad, he could have been severely hurt, and yet he said it without fear.

The rest of the evening went by without incident, except for the lone menacing looks my dad directed to Scorpius. The whole clan gathered for dinner at the enlarged dining table, Grandmum scolding dad and Uncle George for pranking Uncle Percy. And after everybody had had a full stomach we proceeded to the large living room to talk and play some Exploding Snap.

James was eyeing Scorpius in a worrisome way, too. He never said anything, but I knew the comment Scorpius had said earlier was making him nervous. He was starting to suspect something was going on between us, and as much as I dreaded having somebody find out, I didn't have the energy or the will to actually deny it, or talk to James for that matter. We all sat down at the table while the adults chatted away by the couches. Scorpius was winning the round and Albus started gloating about how he was going to beat us all. And then James revealed his cards, and we were all forced to do the same, Scorpius being the last one. Everybody found pairs in a matter of seconds, and suddenly Scorpius's cards were smoking.

"Find a pair!" I shouted, seeing the imminent doom heading his way. Scorpius tried to find one, but every card dealt had already been paired. He panicked and at the last second his cards exploded in his hand.

"Serves him right." James mumbled, It was loud enough for me to hear, but Scorpius was unaware of it. What could suddenly possessed James into saying something like that?

"Don't say that" I hissed to him, while Albus shuffled the cards again.

"Don't defend your little boyfriend." he said louder.

"James!"

"What's going on?" Albus asked. Fred, Roxy, Dominique and Hugo were looking at us with enquiring eyes.

"Nothing." James mumbled. "Can I talk with you?"

He grabbed my shoulder, digging his fingers on it. I stood up and followed him to the kitchen, he seemed pissed and annoyed. He was not like that at the beginning of the evening. Something was bothering him, and I was a bit exhausted from dealing with the temper of the men in this family.

"What?" I spatted at him, my temper rising.

"I hope you know what you are doing." he said, pursing his lips and crossing his arms above his chest.

"Meaning?"

"Rose, what you are doing it's completely ridiculous. You dress up and act all cutesy around him, but you know he will never look at you." he said curtly.

What was going on with the men in this family? My mouth dropped open and I crossed my arms over my chest in an intent to cover myself. James was being rude for no reason, and he was never like that. He was kind and free and a little annoying sometimes. But he was never rude.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"You think that just by offering yourself to him, he is going to look your way. And I am sorry to tell you that if he does, he will be only looking for one thing." he said, he stepped closer to me, trying to grab my shoulders in a brotherly way.

"He is not like that." I said. But the truth was my resolve was getting weaker. I didn't know Scorpius that well, and he had always been sex crazy. But everything that he had said to me was still right there in my head. I could still hear his voice swearing his love to me. Was I just a distraction? Or did he really loved me? It was hard to tell, especially when James was telling me so directly to my face.

"He is a Malfoy, Rose. I don't really believe in his innocence. And I know he is Albus's friend, but Albus is not going to end with a broken heart and his integrity smashed if Scorpius turns out to be a fake friend." James said, caressing my cheek.

I turned away from him. I felt tears starting to well up, and my chest suddenly felt a little tighter. I trusted James, and maybe he was right. I was not getting a fair deal out of this, Getting close to Scorpius was dangerous and I was afraid he was going to break my heart at the first chance he got. I was ecstatic while we were together, but that much happiness was suspicious, as if it was too perfect to be true. Maybe it was because of this, because he was going to break my heart and he was only looking for sex.

"I don't know, James. I'll be fine." I said. And as the words came out of my mouth and the tears were on their breaking point. Albus opened the kitchen door, Scorpius tailing him. He took one look at my face and rounded up to James asking what was wrong.

"Chill, brother. We're just talking about some stuff." he said.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. We were just talking like he said." I said, turning away from them and leaving the kitchen, I didn't even looked at Scorpius, I was getting confused, and I was not in the mood to deal with it right there. I smiled at my dad, who was eyeing the kitchen door with worry and after a while, mum announced it was time for us to go. It was already past midnight and everybody was saying good bye.

I entered my room with tears on my eyes again. I took off the stupid dress and in my underwear I stumbled into bed and began crying my eyes out. It was confusing, the whole thing. And it was frustrating how everybody seemed to know exactly how to make me uncomfortable. My dad was on one side, telling me I looked like a whore in the red dress I wore especially for Scorpius; and then there was James, looking through us, figuring out we had something going on, and right on telling me I was a whore for flirting with the bloke. I loved him, but did he loved me back? Was it all to get into my pants? Our relationship sure was getting physical, but he never pushed me, and he even declared he loved me and wanted to talk to my dad. I was insecure and I felt as if he could not love me the way I did.

And just as I was losing all hope, I heard a knock on my window. I looked up, from the bed, uncovering my face. Scorpius was peeking through, hovering outside my window with his broom tucked under his legs. He knocked on the glass again. I quickly stood up to open it, and a gust of icy wind came into my room with him.

"Are you mental? This is a muggle village." I said, my skin getting goose bumps from the cold as I immediately closed the window again.

"Erhm, Rose." I turned to look at him, he was deeply blushing, looking at me. "You aren't dressed."

And then I remembered I was still just in my bra and panties. I blushed and rapidly dove into the covers covering myself up to my neck.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly, my embarrassment evident.

He hesitated, he fumbled with the top button of his coat, and then took it off, revealing a long sleeved black t-shirt and nicely cut jeans. He sat down at the end of my bed and sighed heavily.

"You looked upset while you were in the kitchen with James, and I just-"

"I'm alright. He was just annoying me." I concluded, coloring slightly.

"But you've been crying, love. Something's not right." he said, scooting closer to me.

"He just made me upset, that's all." I felt tears in my eyes again and I cursed at myself for being such a pansy.

"You could tell me, you know. I hate seeing you like this." he caressed my cheek, sending shivers to my spine.

"Do you love me?" I asked suddenly.

"With all my heart." he responded immediately. "Are you still having doubts? Because I can go and tell your dad everything right now. And I'll make sure to fight for you, for us to be together as long as you'll have me. I'm trying to prove it, like I said."

"Yes but…" I bit my lower lip. Could I just say everything? Will he tell me the truth? "You are only after one thing...and I acted like a fool…"

"What thing?" he asked cluelessly.

"You know...sex." I blushed.

Scorpius laughed out loud. He scooted even closer to me, his back resting on the headboard like I was, and looking straight to my eyes he said: "Of course I want sex, I want to have sex with you all day, everyday. I thought you had realised that by now. But it's not the only thing that I want from you. I want your witty comments and your sweet smiles, and your precious laugh. I want everything, not just the sex, I want you, Rose. And trust me, I could have forced you long ago into it, but I don't want to do that. I want you to decide when and where are we going to do it, I want you to be completely comfortable with it."

"Have you always been like this?" I asked incredulous, my heart sighing from content. He loved me. And maybe I was still insecure about everything, and I was ridiculously shy, and I had trusting issues when it came to people outside my family, but I was pretty certain that Scorpius Malfoy loved me, and I loved him too.

"I guess I was an ass before, but I am completely in love with you, and I don't want to do anything to ruin it, you are-" I didn't let him finish his sentence. My lips crashed into his, and I kissed him with a force I didn't know I had in me.

He was surprised at the beginning, but he slowly gave in into the kiss. My hands were tangling his white blond hair and even though the covers slid from my shoulders and discovered my breasts I didn't care. I opened his mouth with my tongue and he grabbed me by the waist, getting me closer to him. We kissed like that for some minutes and then I found it complicated to move my head with my body twisted like that. I got out of the covers, completely showing him my blue panties, and mounting him with my legs pinned at either side of him. He moaned into my lips, as I could feel his erection pressing against my crotch. My fingers got caught in his hair again and he was massaging my back, and shoulders, kissing me feverishly on the mouth and then moving on to my jawline and earlobes. His breath was hot and his hands were warm to the touch. I could feel a heat sensation forming at the pit of my stomach, crawling down into my center and I suddenly had the urge to rub myself against him. And I did, I moved my hips in rhythm, brushing my now wet center over the bulge in his trousers, he was hard and hot.

"Damn, Rose. We were just talking about this. You don't need to-"

"But I want to. I'm really turned on right now, and we can just go as far as we feel comfortable." I declared, my breath hot against his jaw line. I heard him sighed and then he quickly transformed. He pushed me off him, pinning me to the mattress and separating my legs to set one of his between mine. He looked me in the eyes, his were pale grey and determined, his mouth was slightly parted: his lust was written all over his face.

I tugged at his t-shirt, I was feeling exposed being the only one almost naked around here, and I wanted to solve the problem immediately. He got it off in one swift movement, and I was left staring at his toned muscular chest. He was not overly muscled, it was as if he was naturally fit and his muscles were slightly worked on, most likely from all the Quidditch he played back at Hogwarts. I traced the tight skin on his abdomen, wandering down, touching the blond hair just above the rim of his trousers. He sucked air in, and closed his eyes. I knew he was containing himself, and I was grateful for that, but my lust-driven-self was urging me to continue, to explore him, to touch him.

I lowered my hand further, and touched the bulge on his trousers. He flung his eyes open, asking me without words if it was ok for him to touch me too. I nodded, and he flopped himself onto the mattress, pulling me up and setting me over him, again riding his hard cock. He felt my breasts over my bra, making me moan. It was not the first time he felt me up, but it was the first it felt so fucking good. He sat down, with me still straddling him, and kissed me full on the mouth, his kiss urgent and demanding. His fingers wandered to the clasp of my bra, and enquiring with his eyes for permission, I was so turned on by that point that one more or one less piece of clothing was not going to make a difference, so I nodded.

He took it off and stared. It was the most piercing and dark stare he had given me ever. He was contemplating my chest in full bloom, and slowly began tracing my areolas with his fingertips. He pressed my right nipple with his thumb, and a moan immediately escaped my lips. Then he lowered his face to my chest and ever so slowly kissed my hard nipples. I was so into it, I was having a hard time focusing. I just wanted to get lost. And as I was thinking how amazing his lips against my bare breasts felt, he began to slid his hands down to my bum. His hand went inside my panties and he squeezed my rear with no consideration for my tender skin. I yelped, and he laughed.

"Take off your trousers." I demanded. It came out of me without thinking and just like that he moved me off him and took off his jeans. I could see clearly then the hard shape of his dick sticking out. His boxer shorts were the only thing that separated us, and I was going for it.

"Take your pants off too." I said, my breathing heavy and my body hot.

"That's not fair. You have to take yours off too." I wanted too, but if I did so what would prevent us from having sex? A month and a half was definitively not long enough for it.

"I don't want us to have sex yet." I said, grabbing the elastic from my panties. I thought for two seconds before pulling them off. That was it, I was completely naked with Scorpius right in front of me. He was staring again, his eyes wandered down towards the red bush between my legs and gulped hard. He took off his boxers and then was on top of me again. He kissed me on the mouth, and jawline, and down my breasts, and then introduced his tongue in my bellybutton and I was wringing with anticipation.

"Oh, Scorpius." I moaned. "Touch me!"

He laughed, and slowly touched my wet center. He was exploring at first, feeling out the contour of my lips and the wetness of my center, and then he deliberately pinched my clitoris, sending a spasm through my column. He massaged it, and pinched it again, until I was so fucking turned on I wanted nothing else but to have sex. And then he did something wonderful, he introduced one finger, moving it and exploring and touching everything he could. The pressure was blissful and even though I was nowhere near cumming, it was the most amazing and sensual experience I had felt until then. He removed his finger when he grew tired, and I jumped to my feet.

"What are you doing?" he said, lying on the bed and setting his hands behind his head.

"Show me." I said, kneeling in front of his outstretched member. "How do I touch you?"

He looked at me with widened eyes, but quickly recovered and holded his dick with his right hand. "Like this." he said, moving it up and down, pressing slightly with his middle finger at the base.

I lay beside him, getting his cock with my hand and moving as he instructed. He was getting harder beneath my touch. His eyes closed and his lips parted, moaning from time to time. I got comfortable, and started moving faster.

"Oh, Merlin. Please don't stop." he said, flinging an arm above his eyes. I did it faster and faster, until my shoulder and arm began tiring. And just as I was getting somewhere, he stopped me.

"Was I doing it wrong?" I asked, sheepishly.

"No, my love. You were doing it very right." he said, panting. "Touch yourself. I'll take it from here."

I complied. After his ministrations, I was aching for release. I had never touched myself in front of someone else before, and he was looking straight at me while I did it. He leaned on the head board, jerking off, while I touched myself. It was working, I felt closer and closer, his piercing eyes only turning me on even more. And as I flicked my clitoris one last time and felt my release, I heard him groan.

I lay there panting, catching my breath, and when I finally looked up, he was cleaning up himself with the tissues beside my bed. _I did that_ , I thought. _He was so turned on by me that he came all over._ And when he finished, he pulled me towards him, and got myself inside the covers. I rested my head on his chest and snuggled closer.

"That was fucking fantastic." I said, feeling groggy. "Having sex with you is going to be magical."

"I plan on it being that way." he said, kissing the top of my head. "I love you, Rosie."

"I love you too, Scor."

"I'm dreading going home in the morning." he stated quietly, pulling me closer.

"I'll miss you. Write to me." I said, closing my eyes.

"I will." he said, and then we both fell silent.

"Grandmum answered the letter." he said after a while. "I'm supposed to fight with it. Apparently it's a disgrace for the Malfoy family. It turns out it was made for a Malfoy widow in the 17th century, who wanted to remarry to the love of his life, but he was a muggle born, so she asked for the wand so she could fight for her love."

"That's beautiful." I said.

"The muggle born died. The Malfoys killed him, and the widow went mad." he stated.

"That's awful." I said, looking up to him. He had a serious expression.

"I'll fight in due time. But for the mean time, let's not tell my family about this. I don't want anything to happen to you." Scorpius said, kissing my forehead.

"Scor, I hardly see your dad killing me to stop us from marrying. We don't live in medieval times anymore." I said, resting my head on his chest again.

"Yeah. You're right." he said, his voice dead and serious.

After that we fell silent again, and slowly sleepiness overcame us. I dreamt of Scorpius and I making love, and when I woke up at the break of dawn, he had already sneaked out.


	12. Chapter 12: Forgiveness in the Name of L

Chapter 12: Forgiveness in the Name of Love

"What the fuck are you doing?" Rose said. She had been avoiding me for what it seemed weeks. It is true that I had messed it up, but under the pressing circumstances I was given no choice. She walked away, sending murderous looks my way. Albus was there too, watching the whole scene.

"What did you do to her?" Albus asked, grabbing my shoulder in a brotherly way. Rose disappeared into the Library and we were left in the hallway surrounded by a group of scared first years.

"Nothing!" I feigned innocence and walked away. Albus sure knew by that point that Rose and I were kind of in the middle of something. He was almost 24/7 with us, and he was not blind or daft.

And as I stalked away, James Potter was already there with his jaw clenched and his eyes dead serious on me. He cornered me to the nearest wall and talked through clenched teeth. Albus was watching from the distance, and seeing his brother towering over me, he came over. I wished he hadn't.

"What are you-?" Albus started, but James cut him off and clenched the front of my robes with his fist.

"You better have an explanation to all of this. I cannot see my dear cousin cry at the mere mentioning of your name." he said. He had the same murderous eyes Rose had given me a couple minutes before.

"What happened it's none of your bloody business." I declared, being as serious as I could. I was not going to let James fazed me with his antics. It was all my fault, but it was something I needed to clarify with Rose, not with James. Certainly not with James.

"It is bloody well my business." James said, pushing me even harder onto the wall. "My family, my fucking business."

"James, just let him go." Albus tried. "I'm sure Rose is overreacting."

"Overreacting my ass, Albus. This bastard did something to her, and I want to know what!" James spat at him.

"Sodding hell, just stop crushing my windpipe, you brute!" I yelled. I was in no position to ask that of James, but he was going to kill me if he continued.

"Let him go!" Albus yelled too.

James finally softened his grip so I could breathe again. I swatted James's clenching fist away from me and took a deep breath. If I told the truth I was as good as death with Rose's most overprotecting cousins towering over me, but if I lied James was not going to be satisfied with my answer.

"She is upset because I rejected her." I was going for the lie, apparently.

"What?" Albus asked. He knew I was lying instantly, especially because I had already confessed my feelings for Rose to him.

"She came on to me on Christmas and I rejected her. She was heartbroken, but I was not going to lead her on and have my ass kicked by every other Weasley. I wanted to go on as friends, but she just told me to fuck off." I continued.

James smiled smugly at me. He crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant way and almost patted himself on the back at what he apparently considered a victory. Albus looked dumbfounded.

"Well, it better stay that way. She is not for your taking, and I will see to it that she remains sane enough to continue to repel you." James said and then walked away.

Albus patted me on the back and motioned for me to keep moving. We had Herbology at greenhouse 3 and Professor Neville always nagged us for being late. We took our seats before the class started, and Professor Neville gave us a pleasant smile as he realised we were on time for a change. We were fertilising the pots for the Sopophorous plants Professor Neville was to grow on the gloomy side of the greenhouse, so it gave Albus the perfect opportunity to question me without the rest of the class hearing it.

"I don't believe it." he said, his gloved hands covered in Mooncalf dung.

"You don't believe what?" I asked nonchalantly.

"You rejecting Rose? Come on, Scorpius. I know how you feel about her. I know there is something going on between you two."

"What are you talking about? I told James the fucking truth." I declared, moving the pots so Albus could keep fertilising.

"Yeah, mate, and I was born yesterday. I've seen you two, the way you keep touching each other when you think nobody is watching. And I kept quiet about it, because I know how you truly feel, and I can see how she feels. It's so damn obvious it's sickening, actually."

"What do you want me to tell you?" I pleaded. I knew Albus didn't really wanted to know, and if I said something he didn't wanted to hear, he was going to get upset.

"Just...what did you do to her that made her so mad?" Albus asked, peering at me over the fertilised pots.

"I broke it off." I said, feeling slightly ashamed for telling the truth.

"Like for ever?" Albus asked, dumbfounded again. "Why?"

"There are things going on that are out of my control. And if we continued whatever we had, she was going to get caught in the middle." I said simply. We continued our task in silence for a couple of minutes. Albus was making frowns and pursing his lips, I could tell he was deciding between asking something else at the risk of upsetting himself and remain quiet and let it go.

"What exactly did you broke off?" he finally asked, his green eyes wide and scared.

"Don't worry, mate. I broke it off before it could get serious." I declared, trying to ease him up of his misery. He was curious, I could tell, about how far into the relationship we had gotten.

"If you had touched her in an inappropriate way, I was going to be forced to kill you. You know that, right?" he said, his face emotionless and his hands still covered in dung.

"Yes, I figured as much."

When we went out of the greenhouse an hour later, the snow was falling fast and hard. We were still in the middle of January, and a snow storm was making its way through Hogwarts. I had not spoken to Rose since we got back to Hogwarts from Christmas break and she nagged me for not keeping in touch when I went home for New Year's. I hastily apologised that time, and she hugged me and told me she had missed me. I had made my resolve on the train back to Hogwarts, and although I was wavering from it while Rose hugged me, it just had to be done, and I told her our relationship was over, that I had no desire to be with her any longer. Of course it was a lie, I wanted to be with her forever, but she believed it in an instant and slapped me hard and turned away to leave me standing in the cold dungeon. Two weeks had passed and whenever I tried to approach her, she turned away and disappeared. I should have explained my reasoning first and break it off after, so that she could understand the whole thing before slapping me, but I messed it up. And as we walked back to the castle in the middle of January in the snow, I kept replaying that moment in my head and wishing I could do it all over again as Rose was not even letting me near her, let alone explain my actions.

As we went into the castle and into the Great Hall for lunch, Albus pulled me back to the Entrance Hall and hid behind the door, peering inside.

"Erhm-Albus?" I asked.

"Hush, she is right there. I don't think she saw us." he said.

"Who? Why are we hiding? This is ridiculous." I rolled my eyes. Albus always dragged me into this situations. Spying was not my cup of tea, and it turned out we always ended up spying on girls I was not interested in.

"Valerie Jensen" he said, turning a little green and getting away from the door. "It has been a total nightmare. She just keeps finding me in embarrassing situations and I can't even look at her anymore without my face falling off."

"What situations exactly?" I asked, curious about my best friend's unfortunate luck with the ladies.

He sat down at the steps and sighed heavily. I sat down beside him, and he looked even greener than before. He was really embarrassed I could tell, and it only made me snickered. Albus Potter was the unluckiest bastard of them all and this ought to be a good laugh.

"You know she's in the Gryffindor Quidditch team with me, and on the first practice of the semester, like a week ago, I was taking a shower on the locker rooms, and I forgot my towel on the other side of the changing rooms. I figured, as everybody went up to the castle before me, that it was fine for me to go naked to retrieve it. Well, I was bloody wrong. Valerie Jensen walked in on me naked, and what's even more mortifying, I slipped from the surprise and ended up on the floor in a really weird angle and she was completely embarrassed and fucking stared at me!" Albus said, burning crimson.

"Well, that certainly is unfortunate." I said, trying to suppress a laugh that was forming in my throat.

"It doesn't end there." he said, covering his face with his hands.

"There's more?" I asked, chuckles escaping my lips.

"About two days ago I was doing my potions essay in the library and Valerie sat down at the same table as me with some of her friends. She didn't even looked at me, but I got really nervous, I mean, she saw me in the most embarrassing moment of my life, and I accidentally spilled my bottle of ink on top of her parchment and her robes. I quickly tried to clean it up, first her parchment, and seeing she was more concerned about her robes, I tried to clean them too. But I kind of touched her boobs in the process, and she looked even more embarrassed than I was, and she just picked up her books and left." he said, even more mortified than before.

"I can't believe it!" I exclaimed, now howling with laughter at his bad luck.

"Shut up! I'm not even finished!" Albus said.

"What? There is even more?" I cried, my eyes watering from laughing so hard.

"Yesterday, I was playing Exploding Snap with Fred and James at the common room, and at the last play, my cards started smoking, they were going to explode, and I couldn't find a pair for the life of me, so I tossed them in the air trying to escape the misery, and Valerie was passing behind me to the staircase to the girl's dormitory. Well, my cards exploded alright, right all over Valerie. And her robes caught fire. I used the Aguamenti spell to extinguish the flames, and when the flames were completely taken care off, a soaking Valerie emerged, her robes with holes in them from the fire. And guess where the largest hole was." Albus looked at me with pitiful eyes.

"I-don't-her hair?" I said, laughing between words.

"I wish. Her crotch! She had a huge hole right on her crotch, showing her white knickers to all Gryffindor common room. She looked so fucking embarrassed. She ran away to her dormitory, and I was left there, feeling like a complete ass."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Yes! That's bloody all." Albus said, standing up from the stairs and pacing the hall. I laughed again, and stood up too.

"Well, then. We need a plan." I said, my mind racing.

"For what exactly?"

"You are going to win her over. That's it, isn't it? You are so embarrassed about it because you like her. And it was about time, mate. Your failure with Lana Scamander was ages ago, and your lack of interest in the opposite sex was making me worried." I said, nonchalantly.

"Oi, I like girls. I love them, actually. And not Valerie. She is way out of my league, and I'm already burnt with her."

"You are Albus Potter, mate. I don't think there's a girl out of your league. Your fame saves you. And because you are already burnt with her, this will be even easier. She's seen you at your worst, you can't go any lower." I said, hugging him in a brotherly way and dragging him towards the Great Hall. Valerie Jensen was still there, and she eyed Albus as we went by to the Slytherin table. This went unnoticed by Albus, and we sat down as nothing.

Albus and I formulated a plan (with many protests from Albus about his true feelings) and even though we were two inexperienced teenagers, it was easy enough and it conveyed little risk for Albus. I kind of wanted to atone for my mistakes with Rose helping Albus get one girl once in his life. I think it was a Weasley/ Potter thing, them being so damn shy. So two weeks later, Albus gulped heavily and looking still a little green went and talked to Valerie Jensen in Potions.

Valerie was reserved at first, knowing full well that disaster was always to come when Albus Potter was nearby, and yet he managed to make her smile by the time Professor Slughorn came strutting in. I went into an empty desk and sat down waiting for Albus to join me as always. But I was surprised when Albus asked Valerie if he could sit with her. Valerie turned crimson and nodded. So I was left to sit alone.

"Amortentia." said Profesor Slughorn. He showed us an illustration on the book. "Please turn to page 394 and follow the instructions to make it. You'll work with whomever you are seated. We'll review the theory at the end."

He turned his gaze to the door and calmly said: "Ah, Miss Weasley. Kind of you to join us. Please take a seat and start working, today's lesson sure ought to be good. Your dear mother was always very accomplished in the making of this particular potion."

Rose was at the door. She looked mortified for missing a class, and as she looked at the seats on the class she realised the one next to me was the only one available and scolded. She went to sit down beside me, and refused to look at me.

"Running late, Miss Weasley?" I asked, taking out my cauldron and my instruments. She took out her book and huffed.

"Shut up, Malfoy." she hissed.

"Oi, I'm trying to be nice here." I said, feigning innocence.

"You don't get to be nice, you don't get to be anything as a matter of fact. So just shut up and chop the ingredients." she followed the instructions and started chopping and mincing. We occasionally dropped things into the cauldron and stirred.

"It's looking good." I said, stirring the mixture. It was beginning to look pinkish and smoke was coming out in spirals. "Seems we make a good team."

She growled (Swear to Merlin she did.), and went back to her book.

"Rose, come on, you can't just stop talking to me." I said.

"Yes I can. You broke up with me, remember? I have no obligation in talking to you." she said, murder in her eyes.

"Yes, but I had reasons and-"

"And I don't give a crap about them. You hurt me, Scorpius, and I won't make the same mistake twice." she concluded, looking at the recipe in the book. "I think we mixed too much unicorn hair into it."

"It's perfect." I bend down to smell it and of course its effects were immediate. I smelled leather from a Quaffle, Chocolate Frogs and Rose's bedroom from that night we shared. "It smells like love to me."

She eyed me suspiciously, bending down to take a sniff. Her eyes widened and she blushed. She turned to me and her frown wavered a little. After some seconds her perfect smile had broken free and said: "It smells like you."

After Slughorn had given us the theory about the Amortentia potion (I'm pretty sure Rose and I already knew all about it since we were the top two students of the class) and congratulated us for having the only potion that was accurate, he instructed us to clean up our cauldrons.

"You're still using that wand?" Rose asked, looking directly at the one in my hand while with the flick of it the potion disappeared. People were leaving hurriedly as lunch was being served.

"I do. It's been a terrible disappointment, but I grew close to it. I feel like it's my wand now." I said nonchalantly, packing the last of my instruments.

"Disappointment?" she enquired, her things already packed. Was she waiting for me? "Forget it, I don't want to know."

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor Slughorn called as we were leaving the classroom. "Please work together more frequently, the results are extraordinary. Five points for Ravenclaw and Slytherin for that display of expertise."

Rose smiled at him and uttered her thanks before leaving. I followed her through the empty hallway, she was more approachable than before, maybe it was my time to finally explain why we needed to break up.

"Rose, wait up." but she continued walking (jogging, as a matter of fact) and turned into one of the empty classrooms of the dungeons. I entered it, and she closed the door behind me, trapping me in it. _Fine by me,_ I thought.

But as I was to open my mouth and explain to her everything that had happened while I was home at New Year's, she pushed me against the door and kissed me full on the mouth. The shy and insecure Rose I had known previously seemed to have vanished, and in her place this determined and assertive Rose had appeared.

"Rose?" I asked between her kisses.

"Don't talk, you'll ruin it." she said, grabbing my neck and pulling me closer to her. She kissed me passionately, grinding her body over mine, and pulling my hair.

"But, I-" I tried to talk again, but she crushed my lips with hers, shutting me up.

"Rose, please." I tried again, pulling her closer into an embrace, her mouth far away from mine.

"Don't, Scorpius." she said, her voice seemed anxious and her breathing was ragged. "I don't want to hear it."

"It's important, love. I need to explain to you why-"

"I don't want to know. You broke my heart, and if I hear your reasons I am sure you'll break it again. I miss you and I love you, but I can't go back to being your girlfriend."

"I'm sorry." I said simply. What else could you say after being told you broke the person you love? I could have given anything to her to stop her from falling apart, and yet I was the main cause of her pain. It was a seriously fucked up position to be.

"Then why are we here?" I asked, rather sheepishly.

"What does a girl need to do to get snogged around here?" she asked, getting away from me and anger spilling over her beautiful face.

"You are driving me insane. But fine, if that's what you want, then you'll have it." I declared, my mind reeling and my body instantly heating up.

I pulled her by the shoulders into me and kissed her with a force I didn't know I had inside me. I vigorously opened her mouth with mine, and inserted my tongue. She was matching me step by step and it didn't matter how strongly I snogged her, she corresponded me with the same force. At some moment, our bodies were colliding with each other's and our breathing became erratic, I had her pushed against the door, and my hands had wandered to her breasts under her robes.

"Take off your sweater." she implored between kisses. I complied, and once the sweater was over my head, I slided her robes off her, leaving her shivering on her white blouse. I pulled out her blue and grey necktie, and opened her blouse revealing her cleavage. She fumbled with the buttons on my shirt, and like that we continued undressing each other, desperate to see eachother again, and with the urgency to satiate our demanding libido.

I was left only in my boxer shorts, Rose was kissing my chest and my stomach, shivering slightly from the cold as she was only left in her lacy panties. Her kisses trailed further down, until I realised where she was going.

"Stop." I said, her mouth already at the bottom of my stomach, just above the elastic of my boxers. I grabbed her head and tried to pull her up, but she resisted, and pulled down my underwear. My erection sprang free, and she eyed it with malice.

"Rose…" I said weakly. For the love of Merlin, I wanted her to continue, to pleasure me with her mouth, and yet I knew it wasn't exactly the noble thing to do. I still loved her, like I have no one before, and the mere thought of her with her mouth over my member was excruciatingly dirty. But I found myself getting my hands off her head and pressing my pelvis further over her face. She opened her mouth, shyly at first, and licked the very top.

"Urgh, Rose." I grunted, my eyes closed and my muscles tensed. She laughed and licked again, sending little electric shocks up my spine. Her tongue wrapped around my arousal, licking and exploring, and then her whole mouth was involved, pumping me in and out of it with a crazy rhythm. She grabbed my ass to support her and with even more violence she sucked me out. I was getting close, and as I felt my stomach clenching and my orgasm at the brink, I pulled her up and kissed her, pumping with my hand instead of her mouth. Two, three times my hand pumped, and then I felt my juices spill all over the floor. She looked at it wide eyed, and then she smiled cheekily.

"Scurgify" I said, taking my wand out. The remains of my eyaculation were cleaned instantly off the floor.

"That was interesting." she said, getting her bra back on.

"It was brilliant." I said pulling my boxers on too. "I owe you now."

"Maybe next time." she whispered, her smile failing her and her voice trembling.

We dressed in silence, both of us submerged in our own thoughts. I knew I couldn't keep doing this with her, we had broken up and more importantly I couldn't risk her being close to me anymore. I had tried and failed, and I knew she deserved a better life than mine. But I loved her, and the mere idea of us getting separated was crushing my heart.

"Well, see you." Rose said, walking to the door.

"You don't mean that, right? There is not going to be a next time." I said, my voice breaking up.

"I can't do this, it will end badly." she said, tears welling up in her marvelous eyes.

"Maybe it's better that way. We'll only hate each other." I declared, stepping closer to her.

"Yes, I think so too." she said. She ran to me and kissed me lightly on the mouth, blushing at the contact. "Good bye, Scorpius."

"Good bye, Rose." I said. And then she left.


	13. Chapter 13: Without the Necessary Precau

Chapter 13: Without the Necessary Precautions

We had been at it for months. I realised that I had forgiven him when we first started it, but then I couldn't muster the courage to talk to him, so I just kept doing what we had been doing. It was not healthy, I knew that, and still I couldn't control myself.

He was talking to Albus in hushed voices in the Library. They were both leaning over a table and inspecting a book. I could tell from the page they were on, that it was that stupid book that my dad had given James some years back. Twelve Foolproof Ways to Charm Witches. That's the name of the book.

I snorted, and both teenagers snapped their heads up to me. Albus turned crimson and shut the book trying to put it away. I laughed and Malfoy smirked at me. Albus had been drooling all over Hogwarts for Valerie Jensen. It was so painfully obvious that nobody cared to even picked on him. Fred tried to pull the mickey out once, but Albus looked so constipated about it, that he dropped it immediately.

"So, you've finally accepted your fate over Valerie?" I teased.

"Rose, you-now that-what are you-the thing…" Albus mumbled and turned even more red than he was already.

Scorpius and I laughed. I took a seat in front of them, leaning close and smelling Scorpius's alluring aroma. Swear to Merlin, he was like a drug I couldn't have enough of.

"Now, now, Albus, you should have asked your dear cousin for advice instead of coming to this neanderthal for help." I said, motioning to Scorpius.

"A neanderthal who got him a date to Hogsmeade, thank you very much." Scorpius replied, faking injury.

"And I bet you could have gotten it a lot faster if I were involved from the beginning." I said.

"Oi, wait a second. I got that date all by myself. I didn't need your help, and I certainly don't need it now." Albus declared, standing up.

"Oh, really? And what are you going to say? What are you wearing? Where are you going to take her? Are you going to kiss her? Or are you going to take her hand? Is it ok for everyone to see that you are dating? As a matter of fact, are you dating?" I asked all at once. Albus looked panicked, the air was knocked out of him and his face had turned a horrible shade of green.

"Don't listen to her, mate. She is as clueless as you." Scorpius said, slapping Albus on the shoulder in a brotherly way.

"Excuse me?" I feigned offense now. I had missed Scorpius and his constant teasing and ranting, it was until recently that I stayed in the same room with him long enough to engage in a mock argument again. It seemed that our barriers were downing again, and I was not yet sure if our relationship had passed from nothing to something, or even if I wanted to.

"You don't have a boyfriend if I recall correctly, and in fact you have never had one. What kind of advice are you going to give him."

"You don't know everything about me, Scorpius, I could have had a hundred boyfriends and you wouldn't have known." I smugly said. Of course it was a complete lie.

"Oi, Rosie, please tell me it's not true. I don't want to go and kick half the school's arse, all right?" Albus said, looking even greener than before.

"Look, I may not be all that experienced in relationships, but I'll tell you something: I am an expert in girls, I am one myself, and I can tell you what we want and how we want it, so you are better off with me than with him." I said.

"Think about it, mate, she is going to make you look like a soft bloke. You want to look strong and masculine and I can make you do that!" Scorpius said to Albus. I snorted again.

"You? Strong and masculine?" I said.

"Fine!" Albus said, a little too loud, causing Madam Pince to hushed us. "You both come along to Hogsmeade with me and watch over me. I don't think I can do this alone, I'll be sick."

"Both of us?" Scorpius said, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. Both of you. You are my best mates, and things would go so much smoother if you are there." he said, standing up again.

"I'll do it, it'll just prove to Malfoy that my advice is better than his." I said.

"Fine, I'll do it too."

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow then, by the steps to Hogsmeade. I feel sick, I'm going to go." Albus said, turning in his heel and leaving the Library.

"No experience whatsoever, huh?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow once Albus had gone.

"What? You talking to this neanderthal now?" Scorpius said, reclining on the back of his chair.

"You can be a neanderthal sometimes." I said. "Want to get out of here?"

It was Scorpius's turn to raise an eyebrow. His smirk slowly crept into his features, and he immediately stood up. He could be so basic sometimes, but I was itching to get my hands all over him again, that was the reason I had come to the library to begin with.

"Rose Weasley, you are going to be the death of me." he said, taking my hand and leading us out into the corridor. It was a balmy April afternoon and the hallways were empty: people were all by the lake or enjoying the last rays of the sun. He dragged me into an empty cupboard and pushed me against the cold wall. My center was already wet when we got in there, and it was throbbing by the time he was feverishly kissing me.

I could not get enough of this man, and I was afraid if we continued like this I was going to give in into what we used to have. I still loved him, alright, but the fact is he broke it off with me, and he had said he couldn't be with me the way we used to, so we just reverted into being fuck buddies, as much as it pained me.

"Rose" he moaned into my mouth, he clutched my shoulders tightly, then sliding his hands directly onto my bum. He squeezed and a moan escaped now my lips. I had my hands on his hair, pulling the threads and scraping his skull. I was rapidly losing myself into him and I didn't even realised when he strapped my leg over his hip. My center was then pressing against his hot crotch and I wanted to rip every piece of fabric off of him. I ripped his shirt opened, and dug my fingernails on his bare back. His lips were nibbling my neck and earlobe, my stomach clutching with anticipation.

"Let me take this off." I said, unbuttoning my own shirt. He pulled away, and in one swift movement he got it over my head and tossed it on the floor. He pressed himself to me again, and without noticing he had my skirt ridden up and was touching me over my knickers.

"Oh, Scorpius!" I yelped. He knew exactly where to touch me. I slipped my hand into his trousers and was massaging his member: up and down, up and down. And he grunted and moaned, and all this animalistic sounds were accompanied by my intense panting. He inserted one finger into me, making me moan as loud as ever.

"Shush!" he said, pressing his palm onto my lips, silencing me in an instant. "I'm gonna make you cum, but you have to be quiet, somebody might hear you."

He kept his hand over my mouth, his finger pumping inside of me. I felt my legs tremble slightly because of his words and he just lifted me and made me wrap them around him. His index finger was instantly inside me, his mouth hot over my neck and breasts. My breathing was ragged and I couldn't seem to know what to do with my hands, they were all over, in his hair, his face his ripped shoulders, his back.

Scorpius started pumping faster, stronger, and with his middle finger he was rubbing my clitoris every time he pumped. My moans were muffled by his palm and I was rolling my eyes with more frequency. He was going to make me cum just as he promised.

I pulled his hand away, freeing my mouth and moaning openly. With that hand he holded me by the neck and rested his forehead on my collar bone. "I fucking love you."

"Oh-I-Scorpius...I love you!" my orgasm gave away, and pleasure waves were invading my whole body, my muscles were spasming and my eyes were rolling up my head. He unwrapped my legs once I had finished and let me roll down onto the floor. I looked up to see his smug face and his eyes dark. From that angle I could perfectly see the shape of his penis bulking in his trousers.

"You know that doesn't count." I said, referencing the words we had just said. I hadn't pronounced those words since he had broken up with me, and I was not going to start doing it right after and orgasm (even though that orgasm had been the best one I had had).

"What? I made you cum fair and square, Weasley." he said, sitting beside me on the floor, his shirt still discarded.

"No, not the...the words. I don't want to love you anymore." I said.

He looked down, his face suddenly dark and scared. "I was not expecting you to. I get it."

"You should cum too." I said, looking down to his still hard member.

"Nah, the mood was ruined by your little heart to heart, baby. Maybe some other time." he said, standing up and grabbing his shirt from the floor.

"Yes, no point in giving you pleasure, right?" I teased.

"I never said that! Just...some other time, alright?" he said solemnly. His eyes downcast and his shirt now tucked inside his trousers again. He turned around without even a glance and strutted out.

That night I layed awake. I was convinced that Scorpius had declared his supposedly vanished feelings because of the excitement of the moment, but as I layed there staring at the ceiling of my four poster, I realised the only one compromised by her excitement was me. I was the one orgasming. He still loved me, and my suspicions about his family intervening into our affairs were becoming clearer. His father must have had said something, even made him break up with me. I was starting to think things were grander than I had expected at the beginning. Of course I knew the Malfoys were opposed to women and husbands which didn't met the pure blooded status, but the wand and the Malfoy history and everything, it was already a thing of the past. We were in a new Wizarding era, for Merlin's sake!

And so the night progressed in that sense. I kept overthinking about everything, and getting angry at things I was not even sure of. But one thing was obvious to me: I loved him, and no matter what, I wanted a relationship with him again.

I met Scorpius and Albus the next morning at the steps to Hogsmeade. Albus was looking green and sickly and Scorpius seemed preoccupied about it. When I arrived they were talking in hushed voices, his backs to me.

"Don't be nervous, cousin." I said a little to load. Both of them jumped and turned their heads with murderous eyes.

"What the fuck, Weasley?" Scorpius said.

"Sorry!" I cracked up, their stunned faces were too much to bear and as I laughed to my heart's desire, a bunch of Gryffindor girls came down the stairs giggling.

"There's Valerie." I heard Albus whispered in a nervous frenzy.

"Chill." Scorpius whispered back. "Greet her."

"Hey, Valerie…" Albus tried lamely. The girls went into a giggling frenzy and Valerie, in the middle of the group, blushed a deep shade of red.

"Hey…" she answered. And yet more giggling came from the group.

I motioned for Albus to go and get her with my head. He looked panicstricken and then recovered slowly. This was painful to watch, both of them were as shy as the other, neither of them were moving forward and I felt this date was going to be disastrous.

"Shall we get going, Albus?" Scorpius finally asked.

"Oh, yes. Valerie, is it fine if Scorpius and Rose come with us to the Three Broomsticks? We can make this kind of a double date?" Albus asked. Valerie seemed relieved, and she waved goodbye to her friends.

"Sorry about that, they insisted in coming and see you." Valerie said in her sweet voice. Albus assented and turning scarlet, he offered his arm to Valerie so she could hold on to it. They reminded me of an old couple, with their precautions and their manner and the thought made me laughed a little. Scorpius offered me his arm too, and I willingly took it.

"Double date?" I whispered to Scorpius. We were a good three meters behind them, but I was still wary of them hearing.

"Albus was going to be sick and he begged me to stay. I was not going to be the third wheel." he said.

"Yes, but everybody will see us." I said, a little mortified.

"Weasley, we are not in a real date, you know that, right?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

"But everyone else will think we are, Malfoy. And for a guy who just dumped me, you are a little too willing to go into a fake date with me." I retorted.

"I didn't _just_ dumped you, it was months ago."

"Oh, excuse me, my feelings haven't gotten the memo." I said bitterly.

"Could we not talk about it here?" he asked, a little alarmed.

"No." I said, squeezing his arm and smiling up to him. "We shall talk about it later today, because I realised something last night."

"What's that?" he asked, a little wary. We had already arrived to the Three Broomsticks and Albus was holding the door so Scorpius could get it.

"That you still love me." I said nonchalantly. Albus turned his head to us, but went immediately about to his date. I walked pass Scorpius and sat down at the table with Valerie. Albus and Scorpius were getting drinks.

"I didn't know you and Scorpius Malfoy were dating." Valerie said in her sweet and soft voice.

"We are not." I said. Valerie looked stunned. "I mean, we kind of are just friends. Or something like that. Am I making sense?"

"I guess so… I didn't even know you like him." she said, shyness making her cheeks red.

"No, I mean, yes. Of course I like him, we are sort of best friends, but, you know, he is just so...what I am trying to say is-"

The boys arrived at our table, terminating our unusual and embarrassing conversation. Why couldn't I just shut my mouth and say: no, we are just friends? I was too excited to shut up, that's why. The theory of Scorpius still being in love with me was making me jumpy and chatty and giggly, everything I was not. I was itching to know what he thought of the matter, and what's more, I was relentlessly waiting to get my hands all over him again.

Albus and Scorpius quickly started a conversation about Quidditch, leaving Valerie and I to deal with the awkward silence between us. Albus occasionally glanced towards Valerie, and Valerie blushed. She seemed a little relieved that the conversation was away from her, and she contentedly watched as Albus and Scorpius chatted away. But I was not nearly as happy as she was, I was dying to get Scorpius alone with me, it was driving me insane to have this pending conversation.

"Are you ok?" Albus asked me after what seemed hours of them chatting away.

"What? why?" I asked, nervously.

"I don't know, you look weird. And you haven't said a word and we all know how you love to correct us and nag us." Albus said.

"What?-that's not true." I said, defensively. "Plus you were talking about Quidditch, I don't know a thing about Quidditch."

"We were talking about Transfiguration, you know about that." Scorpius said, smirking.

"Well-I was-Oh! Just shut up." I said, standing up. "I need to talk to you anyway."

I pulled Scorpius's jumper so he understood I was talking about him. He looked at me with quizzical eyes and then glanced at Albus for a second before standing up.

"We'll be right back." he said to Albus.

"Scor-remember!" Albus said, after us.

"Remember what?" I asked him. The air was warm outside the Three Broomsticks. We wandered from the rest of the Hogwarts students who always hang about the Three Broomsticks. After some minutes we had walked into the forest part of Hogsmeade, near the skirts of the Lake. Scorpius took my hand in his, and guided me further into the forest.

"Thanks to you, Albus knows everything." he said after a while.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He sat down on a big rock in a clearing in the forest. He patted it for me to sit down beside him, and sighed.

"Well, he heard what you said, about me loving you. He was concerned, so I had to tell him everything."

"But he didn't punch you!" I said, suddenly panicking. "He'd always said he was going to kick my future boyfriend's ass. I bet he must've been pretty angry."

"Well, let's just say it's not the first time he has heard something of the like. He kind of knew I liked you since the summer. And he knew we had a relationship before."

"What?" I was completely dumbfounded. Here I was, thinking we had kept our secret so well, and both the Potter boys knew. "But.."

"It's fine. He asked me to tell you the truth." he said, sighing again. He combed his hair with his fingers and looking at me with his piercing grey eyes, he took my hand again. "It is true, I do love you. In fact, I think I love you even more now than before. But, Rose, I need you to understand why I broke it off before."

"Because of your family. I get it, they found out and now you want out of it because of what your father might say." I said, a glow forming in the pit of my stomach.

"Something like that. It's more complicated than-"

"It doesn't matter. They are not here right now! They don't own you! You can always fight for us, that's why the wand-"

"I told you it's not that simple. Things have become more complicated than what I first have to understand that my family can be very convincing and I don't want you to get hurt. That's why I broke it off. I...Something happened at New Year's...My father-"

"Did he do something to you?"

"No! But he said...he made me...Argh, why is this so hard? We cannot be together anymore." he said at last, covering his face with his hands.

"But you love me…"

"I do."

"And I love you." I said, reclining my head on his shoulder. "That must count for something. Please. I am not ready to let this go, and I probably never will. And as I said before, your parents are not here, nor mine for that matter. We can do whatever we want to. And when we go home, we'll just think something out. And then we will be of age and we will be free to love each other as much as we want to."

This felt new to me. Before, Scorpius was the one who always was sure about us. He was the one who will convince me about us being a good idea. But now he seemed so unresolved and sad and conflicted about it that it was making me feel unsure too. He said he loved me, but he kept shutting me away. And I knew his family was going to be an issue, but I thought the issue was going to come years from that point, I thought his parents were going to be a problem when he asked me to marry him, or when we moved in together.

"It's not-"

"That easy, I know. But think about this, Scor. As long as we are here, they don't have to know. And as long as they don't know, we are free. Please, I can't go back to being fuck buddies again. I love you too much for that nonsense. Maybe it took me awhile to realise I was never going to stop loving you, and our relationship kind of got sidetracked but…" my voice was starting to crack. I hadn't realised how much I had holded on to this lump in my throat. "But I love you, and I want to be with you...and I…"

"Ok, I get it." he said, suddenly turning around to hug me, his face buried in my hair, and his arms wrapping me gingerly and lovingly. "Don't cry. I already know. I want it to."

"Then let's be together."

We stayed there, hugging for what seemed hours. His body started to shake slightly, and I felt his breathing betraying him. He was trying to control himself, but I knew he was holding back tears. Was he holding on to a lump in his throat to? I hugged him tighter, and after some time, he separated from me. His face was composed and his eyes were set on me. He caressed my cheek with his hand and then stood up from the rock.

"Come on, Albus must be freaking out alone with Valerie." he said, extending his hand to me. I took it and held to it while we walked back to Hogsmeade. The light was starting to thin and the sun was setting in the horizon. The Three Broomsticks was not as crowded as before, and when we got in, Scorpius didn't let go of my hand. I figured he was not afraid of showing to Albus we were together anymore. But Albus and Valerie were nowhere to be seen.

"They must have grown tired of waiting." I said to him nonchalantly.

"Let's go someplace else." he said, withdrawing his hand from mine. I spotted Fred and James at the back. "I want to kiss you and there is too many people here."

We went back to the castle, his hand again in mine, and a goofy smile plastered in both our faces. He basically ran the last part of the way, and stumbled into the first cupboard we saw. He kissed me passionately, something we had not done in quite a while. They had been quick, lustful kisses, always the preview of a sexual act we regretted immediately after. But not then, his kisses were solid and tender, and full of hope. His hands were all over my face and my hair, our laughs and smiles mixing with moans and needs. And as he went to pull my jumper over my head I stopped him.

"Wait! Let's go someplace else." I said, grabbing his hands.

"Why? Where?" he asked, need and lust invading his features.

"I...want it to be special." I said, stammering a bit.

"Special?" he asked, suddenly realising something. "Are you-?"

"Yes. I want to…" I said, shyness creeping over me. "If you do."

"Yes!" he practically yelled at me. "But only if you are sure. I don't want to pressure you or anything and we just got back together. I mean, not technically because we have been doing stuff, but you know, together together."

I laughed, he was so cute when he rambled like that. "I am sure."

He led the way to the corridor of the seventh floor. He seemed even more nervous than I was, and it was making me even more nervous. I mean, neither of us had experience, that was true, but he had had more opportunities than I, and he had been in this position before. I still remembered the Tess _incident_ with a certain jealousy.

He passed the empty wall three times, concentrating hard, and a door appeared out of nowhere. Ted Lupin had warned us about this many years before, he had said that if a boy ever took us to a vanishing room we should run for our lives. Dominique, Roxy and I had taken it as a joke then, but I realised that it meant we were about to have sex. The Room of Requirement had its perks and although I had never been inside it, I had read about it somewhere before, and ever since then I had wanted to visit it. Although it had never occurred to me that it could be use for this purpose.

There was a huge fluffy bed inside the room, but not much else. I guess Scorpius had just thought about a comfortable place to have sex in. And even though I had envisioned something more elaborate for the first time we were to have sex, in that moment, it didn't really mattered. We were just two persons about to become one, and I was calmer than what I had been at the beginning. I loved him and he loved me, and there was nothing more special than that. I was completely at his mercy, and he was completely mine. I relished at our little private moment, and wondered if it could possibly last forever.

He took me by the waist and kissing me feverishly, he pushed me to the huge bed. I was immediately consumed by it, my tiny form disappearing inside the puffed up bed. Scorpius laughed, and made me laughed too. I pulled him closer, and both of us became engulfed in our world. He kissed me hard on the mouth, and then slipped his hot tongue inside it, caressing my thighs and breast. I moaned his name, and as he leaned up to get his jumper and shirt out of the way he saw me again being devoured by the immense bed, and laughed again.

"Don't laugh!" I swatted at him. "We are having a romantic moment here."

"Oh, we are, my love. And I can't stop looking at you, even if that means taking in your laughable situation." he said, leaning in again to kiss me. After some minutes of continually kissing and moaning and taking our breaths away, I switched places with him, my heart racing and my jumper discarded on the floor.

He continued to unbutton and unzip from underneath and I kept ravishing him with kisses and nibbling, until finally I had him completely naked in front of me. I moved down to take him into my mouth, as I had done several times before, but as my tongue touched his hard member, he pulled me up again, crashing onto my mouth once again.

"Don't go down, I am going to cum if you do." he said, his eyes darker than usual. "I am too excited to hold it in."

I giggled. Swear to Merlin, I fucking giggled. I was about to lose my virginity and I simply giggled, I couldn't tell if it was the nervousness creeping into me, or if it was something about Scorpius's naked, tight form underneath me. He flipped us with one swift movement, pushing me back to the mattress, my hands grasping his firm biceps.

"Do it now. I am too excited to hold still." I said, aligning my pelvis with his. He looked slightly preoccupied at first, and his eyes were quizzically looking for mine. I assented again, my face growing hot. He grunted and slowly buried himself into me. At first it felt like a little pressure point down there, my flesh wrapping itself around his dick. But then, as he pushed farther inside, I felt like I was going to rip apart. My folds were no way a match for Scorpius's large member, and I could feel my skin stretching and pain soaring over my core. I felt tears spring up from my eyes, and I could see Scorpius's worried expression.

"I´ll take it out." he announced.

"No!" I almost shouted at him. "Just do it slowly, it's not that bad."

He obeyed and after some painful seconds of him gashing my center, the ache was subsiding. After a sigh of relief on both our parts, I could feel his hot shaft all the way inside me. I felt whole, and then he started to move. I had never experience something as wonderful and unique as that one time. He was pumping into me, and although I was not sure if it felt good or painful still, I felt a glow in my chest, and emotion building up inside my belly. We were having sex, no, we were making love.

He came quickly. It was barely above two minutes, and yet, we were both satisfied with it. We were left panting and sweating, lying there on the mattress. He hugged me, reclining his head over my breast and wrapping me with his bulky arm. He sighed, and cuddled closer to me, smelling my hair and smiling with that goofy grin.

"I love you, Rose."

"I love you too, Scor." I said, matching his goofy grin with mine.

I thought that blissfulness would last forever. But I was wrong. Sixth year ended, and Scorpius never came back for year number seven.


	14. Chapter 14: The Unsurest Future

Chapter 14: The Unsurest Future

It arrived while I was at the flat. It didn't came by owl, and I was startled when I opened the door and there was a tiny house elf bowing before me with the largest envelope between his fingers. Mum would have been so angry if she had seen him there, with a green cloth wrapped around his tiny body and his bare feet all scratched and calloused.

"Hullo, miss. Is there a Mister Potter living in this residency?" he asked, his nose touching the floor with his never ending bow.

"Er-yes. He is my cousin." I said, slightly confused. "Ehm, come in. Are you thirsty?"

"I, miss? No, no, no, thank you very much." said the tiny elf entering the flat. He bowed again and looked around with discomfort.

"Er-well, he is not in right now. He had Auror training until 4. I am the only one here." I offered information because quite frankly it was starting to become weird.

"Oh, I'm sorry, miss. I was commanded to drop the invitation to the occupant of this address. Don't mind me asking, miss, do you live here?"

"Yes, I am Albus's roommate. And her cousin." I added again. The elf smiled and clapped his hands, the envelope under his arm.

"Perfect. I shall deliver it to you, then, miss-"started the elf.

"Weasley."

"Very well, miss Weasley. I'll inform the young master you have received the invitation. He will be so relieved. He was concerned, yous see. He had an urgent appointment and couldn't come to deliver it, and he was most concerned because Mister Potter is his very best friend in the whole world." said the elf, his little hands clutching the envelope and smiling from ear to ear.

"Best friend…" my heart skipped a beat, and my face fell at the mere recollection of whom might have used those words. "Is your master coming here?"

"Oh, no, miss Weasley. He says he is much too occupied. He wanted to come, mind. But his business permitted it not."

"Oh, all right. Well, thank you-er-what's your name?"

"Twinky, miss."

"Well, thank you, Twinky for the letter. I will deliver it to Mr. Potter when he comes home." I said, opening the door for the elf and taking the envelope from his hands.

"Thank you, thank you, miss Weasley. My master will be so happy Twinky did a good job." and with a loud crack the house elf disappeared into thin air.

I was left at the entrance of my flat with the wrinkled envelope in my hand. I looked down to the tidy handwriting on the front, it was unmistakably his, and that made me cringed a little. It wasn't a letter, it was far too light and the envelope looked way too formal. Twinky had said something about an invitation, could it be some kind of party that Albus was being invited to. But why would he had sent such a proper invitation to a party? And it was personally delivered too. That was not common. But then again he and his family were always such pompous asses that an elegant invitation to a little gathering was not out of the question.

I sat down on the comfy couch we had on the living room. I dumped the envelope into the side table, hoping I would forget about it and let Albus find it on his own. I opened the book I had been reading before the knock on the door, and proceeded to read. But it turned out I couldn't concentrate easily as I had been doing before. I kept glancing at the cursed envelope and rereading the page. It wasn't the fact that I was curious about Albus's mail, but I was curious about the person who had sent the mail itself.

We had not parted in good terms, or more likely, we had not parted at all. At the end of our sixth year he said goodbye to me as if he was going to come by Godric Hollow for the summer as always, and yet he never came. I wrote to him, and he didn't reply. I waited for him on the King's Cross platform on September 1st, but he never arrived. I kept looking for him on Hogsmeade visits, but he never appeared. Finally at the end of seventh year I gave up. He was not going to come back, and I was not going to wait any longer. He broke my heart, and I promised myself I was not going to tolerate it again.

But as I sat there on the couch, the envelope kept making me glance at it. Albus had maintained contact with him via owl mail after we finished Hogwarts. I had thought that he had disappeared from our lives completely, but at the first week of us moving in into the flat in London, an owl came for Albus with a letter from him, and it was not a random sporadic letter, it was the continuation of a conversation, and then again my heart smashed into a million little pieces.

Surely a peek into the envelope was not going to hurt anybody. Albus wouldn't know that I looked. And frankly it was killing me. I had not realised how much I felt his absence until that moment that he was being presented to me in the form of a wrinkled envelope. It is true that I had mourned him and I had cried my eyeballs out when I first realised he had removed himself from my life, but it had been 4 long years ago, I thought I was over it, but as I lay there on the couch staring at that fucking envelope, I understood that I had not gotten over it, I had just merely thrown it to the back of my mind, avoiding it.

I stood up from the couch and took the envelope into my hands. Albus was going to forgive me for opening it, I just had to read his handwriting and see for myself that he was not thinking about me anymore, and then I could move on as I was supposed to do.

I sat down at the kitchen table, and opening the letter with utmost care just in case I had to pretend I didn't open it, my heart started to pump faster and more aggressively. I was starting to get a bad feeling about it, like maybe I shouldn't see what's inside it, but the envelope was already opened, and I had the letter folded neatly in my hands.

 _Dear Mister Potter:_

 _I, Scorpius Malfoy, gladly invite you and one companion of your choosing to an exclusive event that will take place at Malfoy Manor the following days:_

 _2, 3, 4, and 5 of July of the present year._

 _The nature of the event is to unite myself and Miss Hera Black in matrimony on the last day of festivities. The first three days will be celebrations of the bride and I in regards to the changing of our marital statuses. So please feel free to come and stay in the Manor so as to not miss anything. Proper accommodations for you and your companion will be made._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Scorpius Malfoy._

I had to read the letter again to fully understand the gravity of the situation. Scorpius was getting married and as much as it was easier for me to move on after confirming he was no longer thinking about me, I couldn't help myself. I felt awful the moment my eyes finished reading it for the third time. Tears sprang to my eyes and my chest felt heavy and toxic. He was getting married, and there was nothing I could do to stop it, as I knew he would no longer cared.

I started breathing heavily and hard, I was feeling dizzy, and all the bad memories and the awful feeling of abandonment came back to me at once. And in the worst possible moment, the doorbell rang.

Albus always forgot his keys and I made my way to the door cursing Albus and cursing Malfoy and cursing my stupid feelings that were betraying me.

"Fucking hell, Albus, I'm at my worst and you forget your fu-" it was not Albus at the door.

He was so much more handsome than what I remembered. Or more likely, he had grown and he no longer resembled a boy. The childish features he still had at Hogwarts were gone, and instead the rightness of his jaw and the intensity of his eyes were too much to bare. He was taller, my head barely reached his chest. He was smartly dressed in navy blue robes and a suit that fitted him just right, he had a case on one hand and his wand on the other. It was the same wand he had found in the Room of Requirement too many years ago.

"I'm sorry." he said, scanning me with his grey eyes. "Twinky was not supposed to delivered it to you."

"What? That letter? I haven't read it, it's Albus's mail." I lied. He looked at me again, searching my face, and then sighing.

"I can see the envelope and the letter on the kitchen table, you know." he said. I glanced back, the letter was opened and almost displayed for him to see.

"Yeah, well. I don't care. Congratulations." I said bitterly.

"I didn't know you were Albus's roommate, I thought he lived alone. I would have sent it to his workplace if I had known." He apologised again.

"Fuck, Malfoy. I already told you it's fine. I don't mind. You can marry whomever you want. We haven't seen each other in ages and you made pretty clear back then that you were no longer interested so that is that." I said, backing up to the couch and sitting on it. Malfoy stood at the doorway and awkwardly nodded.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked, trying to sound casual, as if every other day my ex boyfriend appeared on my doorway.

"I guess…" he hesitated. He took a step inside the flat, and then looked up at me. "I guess I felt weird knowing you would find out."

"Why should it be weird. I told you, it's totally fine." I looked at him with what I assumed were innocent eyes.

"Yes. I know. But still...I suppose I was just a little-anyway, I'm here to talk to Albus, too." he said.

"He is not here. I told Twinky, he comes home at four. And I'll have to leave for work soon, so…"

"Oh, where do you work?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"At Slug and Jiggers." I said. "I've been always passionate about plants, and stuff, so…" I said, feeling a little embarrassed. I was talking more than I should. He didn't have the right to know what my plans or my dreams were, but still I had the urgency to tell him everything.

"At the apothecary? I never pictured you as a herbologist. You were always so studious and focused. I thought you would end up at the Ministry." he said, a little more at ease.

"Come on, Malfoy. You know me better than that. The Ministry is a bunch of bureaucratic shit and ass kissing. I am a little too righteous for that."

"Your mum works there." he said simply.

"Yeah, and she was trying to change the world. I just want to study plants." I said.

"I work there, too."

"Yes." I said, looking at him. He was inspecting the flat and looking at the moving pictures on the mantlepiece. One of Albus and I getting drunk when he passed the Auror entrance exam; another when Roxy, Dominique and I finished Hogwarts; another of the whole Weasley / Potter clan at Christmas. "You look as a Minister, all right."

"You cannot take that against me. It's more interesting than what you might believe. And it's just a step in the ladder." he said, resting against the wall.

"A step in the ladder? I'm guessing that ladder ends at you being rich and a heir of the Malfoy family." I was starting to get angry for no apparent reason. I wanted to kick him on the shins and run away, but he just stood there with a stupid smile plastered on his face.

"Don't take me as a shallow person, Weasley. You know me better than that. And I assure you this ladder has nothing to do with fame or richness. It's all about knowledge."

"I don't know what we are talking about anymore." I said, standing up. "I don't really care about your plans or your future, and certainly you have no need to tell me."

"Fine, if that's what you want. We can wait for Albus in silence." he said, shrugging.

"Yeah. Where the hell is that rascal, anyway?" I asked. I looked up at the clock, and realised it was almost five.

"How is he?" Malfoy asked. He looked uncomfortable standing there, and I offered him a sit on the couch. He hesitated, and then sat down beside me. I wanted him to go, but then again, I was getting used to his presence, and talking to him was natural, as if we had never been apart in the first place.

"Fine. He's Albus and he's in Auror training. My dad and Uncle Harry are always getting him out of trouble. Roxy is a natural, but Albus is always messing up. He is clumsy as hell and has the worst luck in the world." I said.

"Yes, he's told me about his constant errors in training. But he sounded like he was enjoying himself."

"He is. And he hopes that when he is finally a real Auror he might ask Valerie to marry him." I said, a small smile tugging my lips. Those two were the most awkward and cutest couple ever and seeing them together was a delight.

"Yes, he related something of the like. I guess our efforts combined managed to make that work." he said, chuckling a little.

"Our efforts?" I laughed out loud. "It was all because we left them alone. Albus managed to sweep her off her feet all by himself, while you and I were-"

"Yeah." he said, looking anywhere but me. "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you...dating someone?" I could see the blush creep to his cheeks and collar, but he refused to look at me. I felt the anger coming back, and I was about to yell at him to go, when Albus came through the front door.

He looked at us with worry and surprise. His eyes were big and round, and he was at a loss for words. After some seconds he recovered, and taking off his robes, he stepped into the landing.

"Scor? What are you doing here, mate?" he asked, walking towards Malfoy and hugging him in a brotherly way.

"You didn't tell me Rose was your roommate." Malfoy said, looking worried. "I came here to ask you something."

"Yeah, what's the matter?" Albus said, taking a seat beside me on the couch. Scorpius sat down at the armchair in front of the fireplace.

"I'm getting married, and...well-the invitation must be around here." he said, suddenly looking panicked.

"What? Married? To whom? You've never said anything, mate. I didn't knew you were dating someone." Albus said, looking delighted.

"I'll get you the invite." I said, standing up and getting the envelope. I passed it to Albus and snuck out into my room while they were chatting away. I would have liked that the lie I told Scorpius was true, but unfortunately it was my day off and I didn't need to be at the shop. I could have gotten out of the flat, but the idea came to me too late, and I was already secluded inside my bedroom. And our flat being the tiniest thing ever, I could still listened to their conversation.

"Yes, it was rather sudden." Malfoy said, his voice falling.

"What? Do you mean she's preg-"

"No! Not at all. It's just that, we were not planning on getting married so suddenly, but our families insisted, and as we were going to do it anyway, we just went with it."

"Still, you didn't say anything on your last letter. You could have told me if you were dating someone." Albus said.

"Relax, mate. It was nothing worth mentioning."

"What?" Albus seemed disbelieving. "Man, if you are getting married, she must be the love of your life, right? And that is something worth mentioning."

"Chill, Albus. We wanted to get married, and our families were fine with it, so we are doing it. That's all." Malfoy said, his voice becoming lower.

"All right, mate. I know it can be a little embarrassing." Albus claimed.

"Anyway," Malfoy continued. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah, ask away."

"I wanted you to be my best man. Just bring Valerie and let's have some fun. There would be a couple of parties beforehand and a lot of booze, so..,"

"Hell yes, Scor. Count on us." I heard some clapping and I knew they were hugging again. They talked of seemingly unimportant stuff after that. I layed there on my bed, feeling hot tears rolling down my eyes. And I couldn't decide if I still loved him or if I was just jealous. I had been saving myself for him without knowing it; I had had a couple of chances to date somebody new, and still I said no, because in my heart I knew I wanted someone like Scorpius. And then he went ahead and fell in love and now was getting married. He had had a life I wished I could have lived, and instead I lived in a tiny flat with my cousin and worked full time in a low income apothecary. I had been living in the shadows, not wanting to really go out there and fell in love.

After some time, I heard Scorpius's voice no more, and decided it was safe to go out of the room. I looked at myself at the full-length mirror, and decided I looked fine. The tears had stopped a while back, and I could easily put on a smile. I was not going to cry anymore, and what's more, I was going to fall in love.

"You disappeared for a while. Is everything fine?" Albus asked me, as I went out of the room and sat down at the couch beside him. He was reading that morning's Profet, a butterbeer in hand.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" I said in a cheerful tone, grabbing my forgotten book once again. I skipped through a couple of pages and Albus looked at me in a concerned way.

"I know, Rose. You can say it."

"Say what?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Come on, I know. I've always known."

"I said I was fine, Albus. There is nothing to worry about. In fact, I am more than fine, I am happy for him. Really." I said, setting my eyes dead on the page in front of me.

"But you were so in love with him and now-"

"He is getting married and I have a life of my own. It's fine."

"You say that, but it's not fine. I won't go if you don't want me to." Albus said, grabbing my hand.

"Don't be stupid. You have to go, you are the best man, are you not? And I told you, I am fine." I said, shaking his hand off.

"Rose, he dumped you and you have not gotten over it yet!" Albus was raising his voice.

"I am! I don't care about it!"

"Then why are you still single?!"

"Just because! Let it be, Albus!" I yelled.

"Fine! If you are so fine, come with me!"

"What?" I asked quietly.

"See, you are not fine about it." he concluded.

"Fine, I'll go! If that is what it takes to get you off my back, I'll go. And I'll take care of my single status if it's so important to you!" we were both panting and looking daggers at each other. And as we settled down, the seriousness of my words caught up with me. I was starting to feel panic, and I realised I had to get out of it.

"But what about Valerie? Scorpius asked for Valerie, not for me." I said lamely.

"The invitation asks for a companion of my choosing, and Valerie won't mind. She'll be relieved actually: a lot of people she doesn't know and fancy gatherings make her nervous." he said, shrugging.

"But I am the ex girlfriend, his family won't want me there." I said.

"They don't know right. Barely I knew about it, so no one would know. And your were close friends at Hogwarts, so that's your excuse." he said, patting my knee.

"Damn it, Albus." I said, heaving. "Then I guess I'll go."


	15. Chapter 15: The Tainted Truth and the Pu

**A/N: Hello! Thanks for sticking with this story until this point. There are about 5 chapters left apart from this one. So please bare with me a little while longer. I wanted to thank all of you who had reviewed, it seriously helps me to get on with the story. And I wanted to specially thank susiequeen300 for always reviewing with such an excitement. Thank you a lot! And now chapter 15...**

Chapter 15: The Tainted Truth and the Pureness of Lies

I saw Albus first. He was heaving a large suitcase uphill towards the Manor and, struggling, behind him was Rose with an equally large suitcase. These people always amazed me in worrisome ways. I had seen Rose's mother at the Ministry talking into a thin square the other day, and here these two carrying their own luggage. Do they even realise they can use magic for this shit?

After what seemed hours, Albus and Rose finally arrived at the front gate of the Manor. I watched them from the third floor window while fastening my stupid grey tie for the event of that morning. I hated brunch with the family, and I hated it more when it was because of my stupid wedding.

I started to get nervous all of a sudden. Rose usually had that effect on me, and I wasn't ready to face her yet. Thank Merlin Albus decided to give me a heads up the night before, or I would have been completely surprised and uncomposed. I finished knotting my tie and walked to the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My hair was getting long, and my eyes looked pale and grey. But my suit and tie were in perfect order, not a wrinkle in sight and I left the room feeling ominous.

I knocked on the next door and I heard a tiny answer from behind it. This was Hera's room. Mother had insisted of accommodating her right next to me. I guess it was a feeble attempt for us to get closer, but things were accelerating too fast for that.

"Hera, can I come in?" I asked through the close door.

"Not yet, I'm not done." she answered in a stale voice.

"You better hurry, brunch is starting and the guests are already downstairs." I said.

She opened the door suddenly, her blond hair tightly tucked into a bun and her peach dress still unzipped. Her high heels were discarded on the carpeted floor near the bed, and her face was lightly done with makeup. She was pretty.

"I guess I'm running a bit late, and I-" she looked at me with innocent eyes. She looked young and fresh. "Just zip me up, would you? I'm getting nervous."

She turned her back to me, she had milky skin and freckles on her back. I zipped her up, trying not to touch her skin. She went back into the room to get her shoes and, barefoot, went pass me into the foyer. As I walked towards the stairs, I started to hear people's voices growing stronger, and I gulped hard trying to get my nerves down. As I arrived at the foyer, Hera was already waiting for me. I gave her my arm, and she took it. We climbed down the stairs arm in arm, and the guests applauded.

I scanned the crowd as we climbed down. Albus and Rose were nowhere to be found, and relief washed over me in an instant. I wouldn't have to face her just yet. Father and Mother were looking at us with approving eyes and the whole crowd was smiling brightly. I was starting to feel sick. But I guess it was something I needed to get over with.

We all went into the garden were large tables were set for the purpose of the brunch. I was not sure to whom I had to thank the great idea of having 3 days of celebrations before the wedding, but my mother was highly suspicious. She had wanted us to know each other a little better before the wedding, but Father was in a hurry to get us hitched. And to tell the truth, so was I. The moment my vows were recited, I could be in peace, and I could concentrate in greater things.

Hera and I sat down at the middle of one of the large tables. Mother and Father sat down farther along the way with Hera's parents and some other relatives. The seats directly in front of us were empty, and I realised with fear that I had mentioned to the staff that they should reserve the closest seats from us for Albus and his date. I had wanted him close by in case things turned out to be boring, but that was before I knew Rose was coming with him.

As the hired staff started serving brunch, I was silently praying to Merlin Rose and Albus would miss brunch for just arriving. Hera kept chatting away with one of her younger sisters who was seated right beside her. And even when my father made a toast, I couldn't concentrate on it, I was desperately wishing for them not to show.

"Is this salmon?" Hera asked me once my father had finished his speech and everybody had started the meal.

"Yes." I said, casually.

"Is there a way to be served something else?" she asked me, her mouth contorted in a fowl grimace.

"Don't you like it?" I asked.

"Not really." she said, pushing the plate away from her. "I was expecting something else."

"There is nothing else. I specifically asked for this menu." I said, nibbling at my salmon.

"Why?" she whined.

"Because I like it."

She shut her mouth, and then picked at the salmon with her fork. "You could have asked me." she said under her breath. And as I was about to retort that it had been decided so quickly that the owl would not have gotten there in time, I heard Albus's voice in front of me.

"Sorry we're late, mate. We had a little set back on the way. Somebody couldn't decide what to bring." said Albus sitting down in front of Hera. Rose sat down right in front of me, and cursing my bad luck, I directed my eyes to my meal.

"It's fine, you arrived just in time." I said.

"Is this your bride? Hello," Albus said to Hera. "I'm Albus, Scorpius's mate from Hogwarts."

"Hi." she said simply. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Rose?" Albus asked, motioning to her. "No, she is my cousin. We were all friends at Hogwarts, right, Rose?"

"Err-yes." Rose answered in a feeble voice.

I averted everyone's conversations throughout brunch. After the awkward introduction, Hera reverted into talking with her sister, and Albus and Rose made conversation between them. As Rose's attention was elsewhere I let myself look at her. She was different from our days at Hogwarts. I first noticed it a week before at her flat, she took my breath away the moment she opened the door. Her eyes were red and swollen and I instantly knew she had seen the invitation. Damn that Twinky, I was certain Albus lived alone and I sent him without thinking. But it was not that she was clearly crying that made my breath hitched, it was the fact that she looked like a grown woman.

It was the same realization that got me at brunch, she looked marvelous in that blue summer dress, her breasts perfectly fitted and her waist remarkably defined. Her hair was shorter, it barely touched her shoulders and it was wild and red and her freckled face was blushed in the right way. It made me remembered the good days, and I suddenly felt the urge to undress her and see how much of a woman she had become.

I took a large gulp of my glass of champagne, only to gladly realise it had been given a refilling charm. Brunch ended in an orderly fashion, I was at my fourth flute of champagne when my mother asked us all to visit the rest of the garden until supper in which we would all be entertained with the quartet. I finally could stand up and wandered around, or more likely I could avoid Rose as much as I needed to.

Albus caught up to me near the other side of the Manor, where some benches and a rose garden were displayed. We sat down by the benches and a hired staff person came to us with a tray with different drinks on it. Albus took some Ale, and I went directly for the firewhiskey. I drank the whole glass in one gulp, and then to my delight the glass refilled itself too.

"This is going fine, right?" I asked Albus.

"Sure. I mean, Hera seems a bit- young." Albus said.

"Yes, it's true." I rested my head on my hand. "She is."

"Exactly how young?" Albus asked.

"Young, that's for sure." I responded, a little ashamed of the truth.

"Man, don't tell me she's fifteen or something like that, because, shit, that would be too young." he said, slightly preoccupied.

"She is not fifteen, all right. She is a bit older than that." I said, quizzically.

Albus laughed out loud, his nervous laugh. And then patted me on the back in a brotherly way. I knew I didn't have anything to worry about with Albus, he was still my best friend and whatever situation I was in, he would always be by my side. That's exactly why I couldn't end my relationship with him once I couldn't come back to Hogwarts, even though he was Rose's cousin.

"She's trying hard not to think about you." he said, then. "In fact, I think she is moving on, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Rose?" I asked, suddenly surprised.

"Yeah." he answered, motioning with his chin to someplace farther along the garden.

I looked up from my third glass of firewhiskey and there she was in her blue splendor talking with one of Hera's cousins. What was his name? Richard. He was the epitome of the rich daddy's boy, and yet Rose was enjoying a perfectly fun conversation with him. I felt my stomach burn and I looked away at once.

"Good for her." I simply said. I stood up from the bench and Albus walked with me to the other side of the garden. I was starting to feel slightly dizzy and decided to stop drinking so fast. But by the time the quartet arrived, and my mother had seated us all in front of the tiny stage, I had a glass of Rum in my hand and Hera was sitting beside me.

I was feeling daring and I thought, _what the hell?, she is going to be my wife in three days,_ and I grabbed her hand. She was surprised by it, but smiled nevertheless. The quartet was boring as hell, I could hear murmurs and giggling in the background, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was Albus and Rose making fun of the opulence of the scene. If it weren't for the fact that it was my fucking wedding, I would have been laughing with them too.

"They are good, aren't they?" Hera whispered to me, turning me back from my thoughts.

"Yeah, they're awesome." I said with sarcasm.

"I'm glad we have this in common. At least we have the same taste in music." she said, totally missing my tone.

"Yes, music is important, all right." I said, slurring a bit. I tried to compose myself. It was not even 3 in the afternoon and I was already drunk. I was not a big alcohol drinker, and the 9 drinks I had had were starting to show.

The quartet ended after an hour of torture. Hera stood up to talk to her sister, and I unconsciously searched for Rose in the crowd. She was near the back, laughing with Albus about some shit, and beside her stood Richard. I hated Richard. But it was none of my business anymore, Rose was a thing of the past, and if I wanted to keep my word and my career, Hera was the only one I was to concentrate on.

I walked over to her, and grabbing her hand once again, I introduced myself to the conversation. Her sister was indeed fifteen, and even though I tried to continue with the topic at hand, Hera's manicure was out of the question for me. I waited in silence for a pause in the conversation, and then pulled Hera apart.

"Can we go somewhere?" I asked, feeling dizzier than before.

"Ehm…" she hesitated, and then glancing to her parents, she nodded.

I gulped the glass of Rum I had on my hand and then left it on an empty tray. I pulled Hera farther along the garden, to where the greenhouse was, and scarcely losing my footing, we managed to enter it. It was more humid and hotter than outside, but pleasant nevertheless.

"Are you going to show me the plants?" she asked naively.

"Not exactly." I said, my arm over her shoulders now.

"I don't want to miss the party." she said in a wee of a voice.

"You won't." I said, facing her and grabbing her shoulders. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"All right…"

"Can I kiss you?" I asked, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Yes, I guess so. You are going to be doing it from now on, I guess." she said, a deep blush making the way to her cheeks.

I closed the space between us, and I lightly pecked her on the lips. I withdrew quickly, slightly afraid she might run away, but seeing her puckered lips and her eyes tightly shut I went in for another kiss.

"Relax." I said, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer to me.

She holded my arms between her small hands and I felt her mouth opened the tiniest bit. I introduced my tongue into it, and she complied. The aroma of the plants inside the greenhouse was overwhelming my senses and I was losing my balance.

"Put your arms around my neck." I said, pulling her even closer, her body completely flat against mine. I deepened our kiss, my tongue exploring and my hands firmly pressed against her hips. I was itching to wander down to her ass, but it would have been totally inappropriate. I was discovering that alcohol made me randy, and my trousers were becoming a little tight.

I pulled away, afraid she might not like it. Her lipstick was all over her mouth and her chest was heaving. She giggled, and I produced a tissue from my jacket. I cleaned her lipstick stain as best as I could and then tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Was that your first kiss?" I asked her.

"No." she said, blushing a little.

"Had you ever made out with someone?" I asked again. She seemed more surprised with that question.

"No." she replied, now her blush growing.

"Are you a virgin?" I almost spat at her. It had not occurred to me that if she was, I was going to deflower her in three days time, and my nerves were making my stomach upset.

"I-That's-What-That's none of your business." she stammered, her blush redder than before.

"But it is. I am going to be your husband." I said. She looked mortified and indecisive. She was considering lying to me, and then her face fell.

"Yes, I am." she confessed. And then she ran away. _Good fucking job, Malfoy._ Scaring my future wife was not my plan from the beginning, I was just feeling a little randy and a good snog was all that I asked for, But then things had turned south.

I went out of the greenhouse. Outside the wind was much cooler and the change in temperature made my head spin a bit. I stumbled slightly in the direction of the Manor, by now everybody was suppose to be inside, having supper and chatting away happily. But then I heard Rose's laugh somewhere near the rose bushes.

She was laughing with Albus, and both of them had a drink in their hands. I stumbled towards them, and as I was getting closer, Albus looked up, and saw me coming.

"Oi, mate. Come and sit with us for a bit." he said. He motioned for me to sit beside him, and as I did, I took the glass from his hand.

"What are you drinking? Lemonade?" I asked, handing the glass again to him.

"Have mine, I was drinking red wine, but it's starting to make me feel dizzy." Rose said, handing me her glass, and resting her head on Albus's shoulder. I drained it in one gulp, and the glass again magically refilled itself. These damn refillable glasses were going to be the death of me.

"Fucking weddings." I said, resting my head on my hand.

"Mate, just tell us. How old is she?" Albus asked again. It was bothering him that my bride looked so young, and frankly it was starting to bother me too.

"For fuck's sake," I grumbled. I turned to look at them both. "She is bloody seventeen, all right!"

"What?" Rose spat. She laughed out loud that precious laugh of hers and looked at me in a comical way. "You are a twenty two year old man, and you are marrying a teenager?"

"She will be eighteen in August." I defended myself.

"Oh, right, that's one hell of a difference." she said laughing.

"Eat shit, Weasley."

"All right, then. Where did you meet?" Albus asked.

"Are you taking advantage of me just because I'm drunk?" I asked, feeling hurt.

"Yes." Albus answered, patting me on the back. "You never talk, mate. This is my only chance of getting answers."

"Fuck." I rubbed my eyes. "I met her at King's Cross."

"Was it love at first sight?" Albus asked.

"Please, Albus. It's not love." I said, sighing.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, suddenly interested.

"It's kind of advantageous. I thought I was getting the best out of the deal. I mean, have you seen her, she is fucking gorgeous, but, man, it's too much work. She is only seventeen, and a virgin!" I rambled.

"That was to be expected at her age." Albus said.

"Oh, Albus. All of us lost it way before we were eighteen, and you know it." Rose giggled.

"Yes, thanks for the reminder that you two had sex." Albus looked disgusted.

"Chill, mate. It was a long time ago." I said, even though the memory was still fresh in my mind.

"Anyway, have you been dating long?" Rose asked.

"Well," I counted with my fingers. "about ten days."

"What?!" Albus spat then. "Ten days and you are getting married?"

"Well, as I said, it's not love. And we've been owling each other for a couple months now. But the first time I saw her was at King's Cross when I went to pick her up. She just finished Hogwarts." I explained.

"Man, that's kinda fucked up." Albus said, truthfully.

"I mean, is it really? We are both of age, this marriage is convenient for both of us, she is really pretty, and I bet we can produce really cute kids. So, what's wrong with it?" I asked, gulping down another glass of red wine.

"I'll tell you what's fucked up." Rose said. "You don't love her."

"Oh, but I might. Seriously, think about it. You don't love people until you do."

"That's really insightful, Scor." Albus said, grinning.

"Fuck off, Potter." I said, simply.

Mother came to us about two hours later, saying how ungrateful I seemed to Hera's parents. They were here to get to know me, and yet I was getting drunk with my buddies and completely ignoring Hera. I concurred with my mother, and yet I told her I was planning to continue doing that. But she was the head of the house for a reason, and in a matter of minutes I was under the shower and a house servant had a new suit and tie ready for me to wear. My mother made me drink a hangover potion she had concocted herself, and straightening my tie, she said how proud she was.

"It's just an arranged marriage, Mother." I told her. She went all strain and with a serious voice she only used whenever my father was saying something untrue, she said:

"It's not an easy thing to see the greater good." and then she went out of my room.

I was not sure I was thinking of the greater good. But Mother seemed pleased about it, and truth be told, I had no other choice but to go with it. It had been decided 5 years ago that no matter what I had to marry Hera, and going back on my word was not an option. I went down to dinner with my mind resolute. It didn't matter if Hera was seventeen, or if I didn't love her, the only thing that mattered was me keeping my word, and eventually following the path I had chosen for my life. Hera was the first step, and it had to go fine.

I sat down beside her on the large dining table. Her parents were on one side of the table, and mine were at the other. Hera and I were on the middle, and yet again, Albus and Rose were right in front of us. In my drunken mind, speaking to Rose and having a normal conversation was like an everyday thing, as if no time at all had elapsed since our sixth year at Hogwarts. But being sober after the shower and the potion, was something else. She had rosy cheeks and her hair was wildly sticking out in all directions. She was a vision of my most private fantasies, and yet, I could not see her directly. I kept talking to Albus, as Hera was not in speaking terms with me either.

"And what about Runes?" I asked Albus. Rose snorted, but I ignored her.

"Runes? I haven't thought about it since Hogwarts. Being an Auror it's what seemed natural, so I did that." he declared, picking his food.

"You're an Auror, then?" Hera intervened. She was suddenly interested in Albus's affairs.

"Yeah, not graduated yet. But I'm still hanging there."

"I bet being an Auror is really excited. You get to fight dark wizards and all." Hera said, batting her eyelashes.

"Well, I haven't been able yet. But it's just a matter of time."

"It's too bad Scorpius is just an obliviator for the Ministry." Hera said, acidly looking at me.

"An obliviator?" asked Rose laughing.

"Yes, what's wrong with it?" I asked her, anger suddenly emerging.

"Oh, nothing. I thought…" she hesitated, and then took a swing from her glass of red wine. I did the same, forgetting completely that my mother wanted me to stay sober.

"See, you could do something so much more interesting, like Albus." Hera said, a nasty smile playing on her lips.

"Are you trying to embarrass me?" I asked her in a whispered ranter.

"Were you?" she asked, her eyes dead serious.

"Anything wrong?" asked Albus. I took a swing of the glass in front of me again. And by the time dinner was over, I had drank again a total of three glasses of red wine, and having changed middinner to firewhiskey, drank four glasses of that.

I was starting to become dizzy again. And when we were let to roam around the house and have mildly interesting conversations with the guests, Hera's parents came to greet us.

"Here comes my dad." Hera said in an urgent whisper. She took my hand in hers and smile pleasantly at me.

"Hello, sir." I said lamely once her parents had reached us. I had a firewhiskey in my hand and he had a flask of what seemed like mead.

"Scorpius, your parents had told us wonders about you. And I bet after this three days Hera would see it's all true. She is truly a magnificent girl-"

"A woman, dear." Hera's mother said.

"Yes, yes. A woman. My little girl has grown up. And I bet she would be a really happy woman marrying into a grand family like the Malfoys." her father concluded, giving me his hand to shake. I did so.

"Thank you, sir."

"But I warn you, Scorpius, she is my most precious girl, and I will not tolerate it if you hurt her." he said in a menacing way.

"Dear, don't harass the poor boy. He has good intentions, and I see a pure heart." her mother said.

"My wife is a Seer, Scorpius. Whatever she sees must be true." he said, winking at me. "And if it is indeed true, I foresee a great advancement in your career."

And with that they went away. My head was spinning by that time, and Hera was starting to relax. She sighed and with new puppy eyes she said: "That went pretty well. You really must be a good person for my mum to say that."

I felt claustrophobic suddenly. What they were saying was what I had aimed since the very beginning. They were approving of me to marry their daughter, and yet I felt awful. Was I really that good of a person? I was using Hera to my advantage, and even though I really had the intention of getting to love her in the future, it was also true that maybe I was not capable of loving her at all. I automatically scanned the crowd looking for a redhead. She was talking to that Richard prat again, laughing hard.

"I have to get out of here." I told Hera. I let go of her hand and walked up to the rooms.

I got into the large terrace located outside the main bedrooms, and looking down into the garden, I started to feel sorry for myself. Whatever I had imagined getting married was going to be, was not this. I stayed there, firewhiskey still in hand, looking to the stars and the empty garden for hours. Time just seemed to passed by without me noticing, and then the whole Manor was quiet and I realised it must have been very late.

"Oi, Malfoy." I heard a familiar voice calling me behind me. I turned around just to find a drunk Rose stumbling into the terrace, Albus right behind her.

"We wondered where had you run off to." Albus was as drunk as Rose, and they were almost as intoxicated as I felt. Rose sat down in one of the chairs of the outside table set, and took out from her enchanted purse a bottle of rum.

"Let's play a game." she said, cheerfully. She then produced three shot glasses and went ahead to fill them. Albus and I sat down with her, and in a moment we were submerged in a truth or dare game.

"Fine. Truth." Albus said for the fifth time.

"Why did you gave up on Runes?" I asked. Rose snorted again and said: "Because he's a coward."

"Shut it, Rosie." Albus said, resting his head on his hands. "I gave it up because I'm lousy in everything. I can barely make my marks in Auror training."

"What's that to do with Runes?" I asked again, my drunken mind not adding up.

"He thought he was going to be a failure and didn't want Valerie seeing him like that. So he took Auror training so he could blame it on Uncle Harry forcing him to do it." Rose explained, serving a shot to Albus. "Here, drink up."

Albus took the shot and said: "Well, that's-Rosie, you...Don't talk about cowardness when you-well, at least I'm in love." and then reclined his head on the table and felt a sleep.

Rose stood up from the table and went to look at the empty garden. I followed her like a lovestruck puppy. The cool breeze was making her curls fly and her pale face was illuminated by the moonlight.

"Are you in love?" I asked her out of the blue.

"I didn't ask for truth."

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare." she said, looking directly to my face.

"I dare you to tell me." I said, moving closer to her.

"That's not how the game goes." she said, moving her body to face me. She combed the stray hair from my forehead and moved a bit closer. I grabbed her by her waist and moved her even closer. I missed her scent and her body, and having her so close was making me react. "You are suppose to dare me to do something I wouldn't do sober."

"Like what?" I whispered.

"Like...I don't know." Her arms were over my shoulders and around my neck in an instant. She looked delicious and I was having trouble looking away from her mouth. "Alcohol always makes me a bit randy and I can't think straight."

"Whatever I dare you to, you'll do it?" I asked, feeling daring and valiant.

"Yes."

"Kiss me, then." I said, my face centimeters away already. She tiptoed and leveled with my face. Her piercing blue eyes were making me dizzy, and then she closed them, leaning in.

I pecked her on the lips. It was suppose to be meaningless, just a drunken kiss that was the conclusion of the day's lust. A reminiscence of past days. But as I separated myself from her perfect lips, I understood it was never going to be meaningless. She opened her eyes, pleading and demanding, and pulled me close again. I felt myself giving in, and kissing her again, now with passion and fervor. My lips were automatically molded into hers, and then my tongue reached in and I explored her whole mouth. My hands wandered down her back, resting on her perfectly round ass, and then I lifted one of her legs to my hips. Our bodies were aligned and I hoisted her up the railing, all the time kissing with an ardor I had not experimented in a few years. She started to untie my tie and unbutton my shirt, and I was letting her do it. My mind was set to having her right there, no matter what the consequences were.

And as I went to unzip her dress, we heard Albus grunt. Like wildfire, we jumped away from each other, both of us looking disheveled. She had her eyes set on me, round and wild, scared.

"I should go to bed." she said, and ran away. I was left there on the terrace, lovestruck and confused. Albus was still asleep, and started snoring.


	16. Chapter 16: The Grandness of Mistakes

Chapter 16: The Grandness of Mistakes

 _Where the bloody hell is Albus?,_ I kept thinking. I was pacing up and down the hallway, straightening my dress and clanking in my high heels. The match was going to start soon, and Scorpius's mother had asked me for the third time where Albus and Scorpius were. I told her what I knew, I had left them the night before on the terrace and had not seen them since. His mum left the hallway into the garden and asked a house elf to go and look for him on his room. But the house elf didn't had a chance to disappear because Malfoy entered the hallway that led to the garden at that instant, his Quidditch robes perfectly ironed, and his broom on his shoulder. He looked at me and instantly reddened.

"Have you seen Albus?" I asked, angry because he had left me all alone in this awful mansion.

"Yeah," he said, "he kinda crashed over me last night."

"Did you wake him up?" I asked.

"He kind of woke me up instead. He was all scared because he knew not where he was. Look, last night, we were all so drunk and-"

Albus came crashing into the hallway too, his broom in one hand and his robes completely messed up. He had an urgent expression on his face and then he paled when he saw me.

"Why aren't you dressed?" he asked seeing my purple dress.

"Women don't play." Scorpius explained.

"What? What is this? The fifteenth century?" Albus exclaimed.

"It's a house rule. In the Malfoy family only men play Quidditch, and women cheer from the sidelines."

"What?!" Albus exclaimed again. "You mean I'll be playing by myself?"

"No," Scorpius explained again, handing him a green bandana. "You're on my team."

"Slytherin green? Seriously?" Albus said, getting the bandana over his shoulders.

"It is what it is." Scorpius said and patted him on the back.

"Sure you are fine with this?" Albus asked me.

"Are you kidding me? Since when have I had an interest in Quidditch?" I said, mildly surprised.

We all went out into the garden. Malfoy was right. Women didn't play. Every witch on the place was taking a seat on the sidelines of the improvised Quidditch field. They were handing sandwiches and juice to the men that were warming up. And every wizard was at the field, getting ready for the match.

Scorpius's dad was the head of the Malfoy team, they were all sporting green bandanas over their robes, and he seemed really pumped up. Hera's father was on the opposing team, wearing yellow bandanas over theirs. That prat Richard was on the yellow team, and when he saw me he waved at me. I waved back, feeling disgusted. I hated fucking Richard.

Albus patted me on the head before joining Scorpius on the warm up, and they left me with the witch team to hand sandwiches and juice. I grabbed a chair and sat down, without bothering to even say hello.

One of the servants of the house served as referee, and as he disclosed the bludgers and let loose the snitch, both teams mounted their brooms and flew high. The improvised referee blew the whistle and the match began. The truth is I had no idea who was winning or what was going on. I had never had a knack for Quidditch (my dad has always taken offense in this) and I was not going to start then.

By twenty minutes after the match had begun, Hera came over to me. That was just what I needed, the current girlfriend coming for a friendly chat when I had just made out with Scorpius the night before.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, all politeness and manners.

"Sure." and she sat down in a garden chair next to me. We were a little farther apart from the other women, and our conversation was not going to be overheard. I didn't knew Hera, she might had been a cunning mastermind for all I knew, and I was a bit scared of her. Of her knowing what had happened the night before. Of her reading right through me.

"You were Scorpius's friend at Hogwarts then?" she asked, smiling.

"Yes." I said simply.

"I remember you. Or at least I think I remember. I was in Ravenclaw too, and you were in sixth year when I was in my first. But I don't remember you hanging around Scorpius." she said.

"Well, he was in Slytherin, so you wouldn't had seen us together at all at the Ravenclaw tower, would you?"

"I guess not." she said, a pensive expression on her face. "I used to look for him in the hallways since I was told he was going to be my husband, and I don't recall you two together."

"What?" I asked, suddenly surprised. "You two were engaged since he was at Hogwarts?"

That was fresh information to me. Scorpius never mentioned being betrothed in our happy sexfull year. In fact, he never mentioned anything about arranged marriages or that he might have contracted one in the future. He just went along in our happy bubble as if nothing was wrong. Or did he really?

"No, not exactly. It was just hearsay at that point, I don't think he even knew about it. But I was curious about him. I still am." she said, eyeing me suspiciously. "What was he like back then?"

"He was an ok guy, I guess."

"No dirt? He must have done something." she said, still eyeing me.

"Well," I began. I hesitated as to what to tell her, but eventually decided she didn't need to know the "dirt" in Scorpius's life. "he had a serious girlfriend, but they broke up. And they used to constantly kiss in public. But other than that, he was just average."

"Oh." she seemed disappointed. "I guess he is a good guy after all. One would think-with the Malfoy name and all…"

"He is a seriously good guy." I said, bitterly.

"That's all right then."

"Are you disappointed?" I asked her. She looked at me with expressionless eyes and then smiled brightly.

"What are you talking about? I love him." she searched for him on the bright sky and upon watching him hit a bludger, cheered lively.

The game could not finish soon enough. I was suffocating between Hera's questions and her gushing over how perfect and in love she was. At some point I felt tears prickle my eyes. She had no idea what that conversation was doing to me, my heart was contracting and I was left with the sensation that I was third-wheeling the whole relationship. Our time had passed, and Scorpius had somebody else that could love him and fulfill his every desire. And I was left with a broken heart and feeling used.

When Albus finally caught the Snitch for the Malfoy team, I was already up on my feet. Hera looked at me quizzically, but as Scorpius descended into the improvised field, she went to congratulate him and the rest of the team for their victory.

I stayed at the sidelines, watching from afar how his family and his fianceé's family celebrated the victory, how Hera fell into his arms and hugged him, and how utterly happy he looked. Albus came over to me, but as he was getting closer I retracted into the house. I wanted to get away as soon as possible, I wanted to Apparate out of there, leave everything behind and just flop into my tiny bed in my tiny flat and cry my eyes out. I went up the stairs into the guest bedroom the Malfoys had assigned for me, and went straight to my luggage. Half of it was scattered in the bedroom floor, and I hastily crammed clothing and shoes and toiletries into the trunk. Hot tears were already falling down my face, and as I struggled with the impossibly heavy burden, Albus came in through the door. His robes were filthy and his hair was messy and sweaty, and still I didn't hesitate for one second to fling myself into his arms and cry.

"I-I c-can't, Albus." I wailed. "You-y-you w-were right. I'm de- definitely n-not over him."

He caressed my hair, standing there like a rock, waiting for me to calm down. I sobbed and bawled and buried my face on his crummy robes. After some minutes I had to stop, it was becoming hard to breath. I sat down on the bed and he kneeled in front of me, looking for my eyes and caressing my arms.

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

"She's going to be his wife." I said, tears rolling down my face.

"You knew that already."

"But knowing it and seeing it are two different things, Albus. I thought I was over him, that I didn't care anymore. But it was too much, she loves him, and I cannot bare the fact that I lost him forever."

"What are you going to do, then?"

"I'm leaving." I said curtly.

"Then you will never get over it." he said, wiping my tears with his robes. "If you go now, you'll never accept he is really gone. You'll keep thinking he's going to go back to you."

"Then what should I do? I'm tired of loving him." I asked, a knot forming in my throat again.

"Stay, and watch him marry, so you'll know he is not yours anymore." I flung myself into him again, crying hard on his chest, both of us kneeling on the floor. I kept crying until tears were no longer able to fall down. As the tears receded, I understood Albus had a point. I needed to do this, for the sake of moving on. But it didn't mean I was going to like it.

"Goddammit, Albus. Since when did you become so wise?" I asked him, half mockingly. He patted the top of my head, and then kissed my forehead.

"Since you became so whiny." he joked. He stood up, allowing me to crawl into bed, and then said he was going to take a shower, that I should do the same. And then he left the room. I felt my face puffy and my tears were dry and itchy. I felt a renewed energy, as if the spilling of my tears were giving me the force and braveness I needed to finally move on.

I stepped into the shower feeling determined. I was going to move on, I was going to be happy for them, and I was going to finally continue with my life and fulfill my goals. I had to smile and endure, because after two more days, Scorpius was going to be a married man, and I was going to be a free woman.

I chose a little emerald dress that I knew hugged my curves perfectly. After I had accepted to come to the Manor, I went in a shopping spree, I decided that if I had to face Malfoy I was going to do it looking my best. After zipping my dress up, I went to look for Albus on the living room, where the rest of the guests were.

As I entered, I regretted it. The room was filled with Hera's guests, her family, her friends, her little world. I had not realised until then that Malfoy's guests were few. Apart from Albus and I, there was just a couple of other people from his job at the Ministry, and a handful of his relatives. I'd guess siblings of her mother and their offsprings. And yet again, I hadn't seen Scorpius mingling with anyone but Albus and I. He sure was a lonely guy, as he had always been.

Albus was not in the room yet, and neither was Hera and Scorpius. I felt relief wash over me, and went to get a drink. If this was a party, then I wanted to enjoy it, and unfortunately, having a drink at hand was imperative in this situation. The older wizard on the bar at the end of the room handed me a pinkish liquid and called it a cocktail of his own making. I gulped it down at once, and then it refilled itself. What was it with this refillable drinks, anyway? The Malfoys wanted us all intoxicated and fast.

I stood at the corner of the room, watching from afar as the party unfolded. Most of the guests were quietly talking over the classical music, and some of them were dancing in the middle of the room, swaying this way and that with a bored expression on their faces. I saw Hera's sister talking to a guy twice her age, that by the looks of his robes, was from the Ministry. This girls were aiming for older guys, alright. And I saw Scorpius's dad laughing in a incredibly false manner with Hera's father. They both looked they were trying to impress each other.

"Well, hello, there." Richard, Hera's prat cousin, came over to me, a drink on his hand and a richboy expression plastered on his face.

"Hello, Richard." I said, feeling disgusted.

"Baby, you didn't cheered for me on the Quidditch field." he said, standing too close to my liking.

"Yes, I had to root for my dear cousin. That's what relatives are for." I stepped back, trying to get away.

"I'll invite you to one of my Quidditch matches next time. You root for the Montrose Magpies, right? I'll make sure to write your name on the VIP list. What do you say?" he said, flashing me his perfect smile and winking.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I'm busy that day."

"But I haven't told you the day yet, baby. And it's a whole season, I bet you can make it to one game. And we can celebrate after it."

"I am not interested in Quidditch actually." I said, backing against the wall.

"Are you serious? I've never heard of such a thing. Well, then, you say the place and we'll go." he said, tucking a strand of my wild hair behind my ear.

"Listen, Richard, the thing is… Albus, my cousin, he's a really jealous guy. He doesn't like me going out with guys alone." I said, pathetically.

"We'll invite him, then. And then you and I, well, we can shake him off at nightfall, what do you say?" he said, getting even closer.

"I-I'll have to consult with him." I said, getting away from the wall and sneaking past him. "Excuse me."

I practically ran away from him. I hated fucking Richard, and being in such a proximity was making me boil with anger. He was the epitome of what I was _not_ looking for in a man, and I was desperate to just disappear from his sight and not see him for the rest of my life.

I snuck into the kitchen, finding a little bit of peace from the music and the chatter. Three house elves were making dinner and there was a tray with snacks and a drink on one of the counters. I went for the platter, my stomach suddenly lurching with hunger. But as I went to grab a snack, a man with white hair appeared at the other side of the counter. Scorpius had been crouching looking for something and he stood up, showing himself, right at that instant.

"Oh, sorry." I said, red and embarrassed.

"It's quite all right, Weasley. I was just looking for something stronger to drink. My mum has me on a strict diet of lemonade and pumpkin juice." he said, looking slightly shy.

"Maybe you should listen to her." I offered.

"Yes." he said, taking out a bottle of firewhiskey from the cabinets under the counter. "I was also kind of hiding."

"From your bride?"

"Yes." he looked apologetically at me, his big grey eyes staring right into me. "I was suffocating back there."

He pulled out two shot glasses from the same cabinet and filled them up. Handing one to me, and drowning the other in one swing. I swung the shot, too. I could feel the burn in my throat and again my stomach growled. I had not eaten anything the whole day. I took a sandwich snack and nibbled.

"You shouldn't hide." I said, feeling dejected.

"She wouldn't mind." he said, having a snack too.

"She would. I'm sure." The conversation was strained and embarrassing. I wanted to ran back out the door, but at the same time I wanted to stay there with him a little longer.

"You don't get it, Weasley. We are not even friends, and she has a bunch of girls parading around her, asking her wedding questions and she kind of lies sometimes and it's making me nervous." he said, swinging another shot.

"What kind of lies?"

"Somebody asked her about our first kiss. And she lied as if nothing was wrong. She said it was when I went to pick her up from Platform 9 ¾ at the end of her fifth year and that it was magical or some shit like that."

"Was it not like that?" I asked glad I had not ran away.

"No." he said, moving along the counter to get closer to me. He was by my side in an instant, and the house elves had suddenly disappeared, the food done and steaming. "Actually it was yesterday, and because I felt I needed to do it before getting married."

"A lot of things happened yesterday, then." I said. The minute the words came out of my mouth I lamented it. I was opening a pandora box and the conversation had gone so well until that point.

"Listen, we were both drunk and…" he took a sip from his shot and then sighed heavily. "It wasn't suppose to be like that. I just wanted to… You know, for old time's sake."

"It's fine, I wanted it too, but you are getting married, and she loves you and-"

"Loves me?" Scorpius said, lifting his eyebrows. "Where did you get that idea?"

"She told me so."

"She's lying then." he said simply, drowning what was left of his shot. "She doesn't love me. I don't think she even likes me."

"But she said-"

"That's what they told her to say. She has been telling that lie since we officialized the engagement." he said, looking at me with his piercing eyes.

"Even so, what we did yesterday, it was just meaningless and it shouldn't interfere with your marriage. And it shouldn't happen again."

"It was not meaningless." he said, his voice low and serious.

"Scor…"

"You know it wasn't." he said, his body turned towards me and his hands suddenly on my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" I said, softly. I felt tears on the back of my eyes and I just gulped down the sorrow I was feeling.

"Oh, Rose… You know it was not meaningless. You surely know that I still…" his hands slowly slid down from my shoulders, caressing my arms and finally resting by his sides.

"You still what?" I asked, my face falling and my heart pumping.

"I still…" but he didn't dare say it. He looked at me with a guilty expression, and grabbing my shoulders again he pulled me into him, hugging me. I've missed so much the scent of his body and the strongness of his arms, and I just let myself be hugged, and relished at the marvelous feeling of having him again.

"That's not your bride, Scorpius." a low and angry voice said behind us. We separated immediately, turning around to face it. Scorpius's father was looking at us with reproachful eyes, but nonetheless keeping composure.

"I know." Scorpius said firmly. "Don't worry about it, Father."

"Hera is looking for you. I recommend you go to her now." he said, his voice still commanding and cold.

"Yes." was Scorpius's reply. He didn't glance back at me and left the kitchen immediately. Scorpius's father scanned me from head to toe and with an equally cold voice he said:

"Miss Weasley, I beg you not to interfere. This is certainly out of your understanding." and then left the kitchen, too.

Dinner was as awkward as one might expect. Who had the brilliant idea of sitting us right in front of Scorpius and Hera? Albus kept chatting away with Scorpius as if nothing was wrong, as if it was a normal dinner at Hogwarts. Hera kept talking to her sister, and then at me, and then at Scorpius, but Scorpius kept blowing her off. I could have died at that moment, and it would had been less awkward.

Finally at the end of dinner, when dessert was being served, Hera told me about her bachelorette party.

"I finally convinced mum to let me do it, and Scorpius's mum told me it could be here. But it needs to be today, because tomorrow Scorpius is having his own." she said. "All my friends are going to be there, and since you are Scorpius's best friend from Hogwarts, you should be there too."

"I don't know…" I said, but in reality I wanted to outright say no.

"Come on. It'll be fun. Scorpius, tell her to come." she said, in a whiny voice.

"If she doesn't want to go, then…" Scorpius began, looking at me with apprehension.

"Nonsense. You must come." she told me again.

"Fine." I said at last. _At least it gives me the excuse to drink up,_ I thought.

So at a quarter past eight I made my way to one of the many drawing rooms in the Malfoy Manor. I was fidgety and paranoid about it without meaning to. What if Hera saw right through me? That sneaky seventeen year old must have had a secret plan or some shit. But in reality I was just extra paranoid because I had done things that are not acceptable to do with somebody else's fianceé. I was not proud of us making out, or of us hugging in the kitchen. But I had made a promise with myself, I was going to see him marry Hera so I could move on, and these bad things I had done, they were just slip ups in my way to recovery.

I regretted it. Truly. Watching Hera and her sisters and her many girlfriends from Hogwarts on a lounge, taking colorful drinks and shrieking with excitement was too much to bare. As I entered the room, Hera immediately made me sit behind her, between her and her sister. Everyone kept talking at once and the music was blasting my eardrums. Somebody gave me a flute with a purplish drink inside, and I gulped it down. The glass refilled itself. Are the Malfoys alcoholics? These drinks were going to be the end of me.

"So, you knew Scorpius at Hogwarts?" one of the many girlfriends asked me.

"Yep." I said, simply, drowning the glass again.

"He is so delicious. Hera won't tell any details, but I bet he must be a real good kisser." she said, squealing.

"I wouldn't know." I lied. "We were like siblings."

"But you must know some gossip!" she insisted.

"He is a good guy, right, Rose?" Hera intervened. "There was no gossip."

"Right." I said.

"Then you must tell us, Hera. When did you became boyfriend and girlfriend?" somebody else asked.

"Oh, it was not like that." Hera said. I realised then that Hera had taken her share of colorful cocktails and was spilling information without reserve. "We were engaged since my second year, and he owled me once a month since I was in my fifth year. He is such a proper guy, he didn't say I love you until we finally met."

"Oh, how did he tell you?" the first girlfriend asked.

"It was right before he kissed me for the first time. He said: Hera, I have waited my whole life for you, I love you. And then he kissed me!" she said giggling.

 _That is a lie,_ I thought. And I snorted. I swear to Merlin, I snorted right in front of her and her pretentious friends. It must have been the cocktails I was sipping like water, or the fact that I knew the actual truth, but all the same, Hera looked at me with murderous eyes and then asked:

"What's so funny, Rose?"

"Nothing." I said sheepishly. "It's just not something Scorpius would say or do."

"Really? Do you think I'm lying?" she asked. "Because you can ask him."

"Oh, no. I believe you." I said, suddenly afraid.

The party continued without accident, and I kept consuming cocktails and laughing at the other girls comments. Hera was consuming cocktails as fast as I was and eventually the whole party was leaving her behind. She sat down at one of the couches, next to me, and started a slurred conversation about Scorpius.

"You know," she said. "It was actually a lie. Our first kiss was yesterday. But I know he loves me, or else why would he be so interested in marrying me. I don't have that much money and he could have ran away if his parents were making him do it. But he stayed and has treated me really good. He is not what one would expect from a Malfoy, but who knows. Maybe when I'm older I'll get to really love him."

What Hera was saying was true. And what's more, it made perfect sense in my drunken mind. Why had Scorpius not run away? Especially since when the commitment was done, he was still in love with me. Or was he? He left me then, he chose Hera over me and it was stinging like hell.

"Wait, Rose. Where are you going?" Hera said. I had not realised that I had stood up. "Take me with you…" she said, and then fell down on her side on the couch. She was instantly asleep.

I was going to see Scorpius. I needed my questions answered and fast. I had a sense of urgency that no sober person would have, and I slipped out of the bachelorette party and ended up on his doorway. The light was already off, and I understood it must have been pretty late. I knocked as quietly as I could. But at hearing no answer, I banged on the door a couple of times.

Scorpius immediately came to the door, a pissed off expression on his face. He was shirtless. Merlin. When I glanced back to his face, his scowl had already softened and upon seeing the state I was in, he pulled me into his room.

"You drank a bit too much, Rosie?" he said, sitting me on his comfy bed. He looked ravishing and I was a mix of turned on and angry.

"Don't call me that, you booger!" I said, flopping down over the bed.

"Real mature, Weasley." he said, laughing. "Just tuck yourself in, would you? I'll crash in your room."

"No!" I said, suddenly remembering why I was there in the first place. I stood up and everything was moving. "Come back here, Scorpius."

He stood in front of me, stabilizing me with his hands on my shoulders. He laughed a little at my face, and then he sat me down on the bed again.

"What is it, dufus?" he said, mockingly.

"Why?" I asked simply, standing up again and losing my balance. I fell into his arms, and he holded me there.

"Why what?" he sat me down again and sat down beside me, I rested my head on his shoulder, and he laid his arm around my back.

"Why did you choose her?"

"Rosie…"

"I loved you, I truly did. And you left me because you had to marry that child." I said, bitterly, swatting him on the arm.

"It's a little more complicated than that." he said, holding me tighter. "There are things that cannot be undone, and I'm really sorry I've caused you pain."

"I don't get it."

"I know. You are drunk."

"No, not just because of that. What cannot be undone?" I said, lifting my head and looking him straight to the face.

"Let's talk about it when you're sober. Alright?" he said, avoiding my eyes.

"Let's not." I said, firmly.

"Rose, I don't want to hurt you anymore, and I can't explain everything without disappointing you." he said, truthfully.

"Do you still love me?" I asked.

"With all my heart."

His words lingered on the stilled room. I heard my heart pumping furiously and I was tempted to kiss him one more time. And yet I held back, because I had done awful things the past two days and he still needed to get married.

"Then it's not that complicated." I said, quietly.

"It is! It's not child's play, it's magic and it's not something I'm proud of, alright?" he said, losing his temper a bit.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let's just say we were not meant to be." he said, standing up and brushing his hair away from his face.

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yes." he said, looking at me. "Our time ran out, and we were not meant to stay in love."

"Then it was a mistake?" I asked, feeling helpless and dejected.

"It definitely was a mistake." he said, serious and rigid.

"I shouldn't have come." I said, standing up and running to the door. I glanced at him as I closed the door behind me. He had his back to me, and he was shuddering.

I started shuddering myself, and when I finally entered my room and flopped onto the bed, I cried my whole eyes out.


	17. Chapter 17: The Void in the Story

Chapter 17: The Void in the Story

Hera was waiting for me before breakfast. She was sitting down in the hallway outside our bedrooms, her eyes unfocused and her hands neatly placed on her lap. I felt instantly a pang of guilt forming in the pit of my stomach, this girl was proving to be a malicious mastermind, and I would have been not the slightest surprised if she already knew what was going on between Rose and I. Or at least that was what I had perceived, for she went out of her way to get Rose drunk and get her to talk.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Oh," she said, focusing her eyes on me. "Scorpius." she stood up from the chair, looking nervous and fidgety. "I was waiting for you."

"Why?" I asked, rather harshly.

"Mum said we should go down looking like a couple." she said, scratching her scalp. "I guess people wonder why we don't spend as much time together as we could."

"I don't give a shit about other people."

"Oh, but I do." she said, linking her arm to mine. "I want everyone to think I am marrying for love." We advanced through the hallway and into the foyer.

"Are you nervous?" she asked suddenly, tightening her grip on my arm.

"For breakfast?" I asked my mind elsewhere.

"For the wedding tomorrow?" she asked, quietly.

"Are you? Are you having cold feet?" I asked daringly.

"I-I...I am not. I want to marry you, this is extremely beneficial for me." she simply said.

"And for me." I concluded.

"Yes, I know you are marrying me for the job advancement, so there is no reason to back out."

"Why are you marrying me?"

"You have to ask? I don't want to say it, it sounds awful, but that's the way things are." she said, sheepishly. "You know my family have not that much money, and I have no desire in working and I want a happy and plenty life. Is that wrong?"

"If it helps you, then it doesn't matter. I guess that's why this is an arranged marriage."

"Do we have to do it now?" she said, her face reddening.

"You want to postpone it?" I thought about it for some seconds. I didn't want to marry Hera, but if it was postponed, then keeping my word and staying away from Rose was going to prove impossible. Especially after what happened last night. I immediately felt my chest tightening at the recollection of her crying face and her sweet scent. I had had her in my arms, and they were feeling empty without her. "It has to be now. I need the promotion if I want to meet my goals."

"I understand. I just thought...I don't know what I thought. I guess I am just a little nervous about the whole thing. And about the...you know...the virgin thing." she said, reddening even more.

"You don't want that to do it." I said.

"No, I mean, I guess it's what a married couple should do. But I picture it differently. If we could hold it off for-"

"It has to be done, Hera. Or else the marriage it's not going to be consumed." Truth be told, I was being a selfish motherfucker right there. There was no actual need to do it, in fact, we could just pretend to be married for the convenience, but I liked sex and if I was to marry, sex was going to be one of the few advantages out of the deal.

"I know. Forget about it." she said, suddenly mad.

I was about to say something else to her, but we arrived at the foyer and guests were there, waiting for us to have breakfast all together. Rose was not there, nor Albus for that matter, and I instantly felt a little relieved. In fact, neither one of them appeared for breakfast, the seats right in front of us were empty, and I was forced to listen to Hera's sister chatting incessantly about her cat and the many antics it does. Breakfast ended in an uneventful manner.

Sometime around noon, Alus finally appeared. I was playing a round of Wizard Chess with Peterson, another obliviator from the Ministry that was kindly invited to the wedding by my mother. Peterson was a tool. In fact, everyone of them were tools.

"Are we going or what?" asked Albus, standing beside me to take a look at the game.

"Where have you been?" I asked him instead. "You were not at breakfast."

"Yes, I had a situation, but now I'm free. Let's do it." he said, moving my horse out of the way.

"What situation?" I asked, standing up without even saying goodbye to Peterson the tool.

"Don't mind it. Let's go now or your mother is going to flip." he said, patting my shoulder. We went out the Manor and through the long garden. Albus was quieter than usual and his demeanor was tense and sad.

"Is everything ok?" I asked rather sheepishly. Was he mad at me because of Rose? Had Rose gone home? What was going on?

"Oh?" he asked, getting into the Apparition zone. "Yeah, everything is fine." and then with a pop he was gone. I entered the Apparition zone too, and in an instant I was standing in an alley beside Diagon Alley. Albus was already walking up towards the shops and absentmindedly toying with his wand.

We got inside Madam Malkin's just as she was helping a young boy with his formal robes and a middle-aged witch was watching him with disapproving eyes. The boy was struggling with his bow while Madam Malkin was adjusting his hem.

"I'll be right with you, boys." she said without looking away from her job.

"Albus, did Rose…" I shuted up. I didn't want to trouble Albus, and yet I was itching to know if Rose was out of the picture for good. "Did she said...last night she...did you talk to her?"

"To Rose?" he said, still absentmindedly. "I haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. I went to her room in the morning and she said she was feeling ill."

"She's still in the Manor?" I asked, rather surprised.

"I suppose so…" he said, enchanting a loose thread on his jumper to cut itself. "Why? Did something happened?"

"No!" I said a little too quickly. "We talked last night, that's all. I guess I'm starting to realise that I won't see her again."

Albus looked at me in a preoccupied way. His eyes traveled from my face to his hands and then he sighed. He wanted to tell me something, but couldn't muster the courage to say it.

"If you are gonna look so gloomy you might as well say what you want to." I said, passing a hand through my messy hair.

"Well…" he began. "You know why I usually bully Lily's boyfriends?"

"Because you're a jealous bastard who likes torturing his little sister?" I asked, half mockingly.

"Well, that, and because I really love her and I want a guy that'll treat her right. I want her to have the best man by her side, and I want to spare her a broken heart." he said, matter-of-factly.

"She'll get a broken heart no matter what, sooner or later." I said.

"Yes, I know that, but still I want to try." he said, pensively. "And you know why I've never done that with Rose?"

"Because she's feisty?" I asked.

"Well, that, and because I thought she had already found him. I thought she already had the best man by her side." he said, his words lingering in the empty air. I felt a pang of guilt falling into the pit of my stomach, and without warning, tears began to well on the backside of my eyes.

"I'm sorry, mate." I said, fighting my cracking voice. "If I could spare her I would. But...I...I may have done some more damage and there was no helping it. I...you know I've…"

"I don't blame you, she has made it her task not to forget you, so I guess in the end it was her fault. After you left, she just went into hibernation, she's still waiting for you, and if it's impossible, you should say so now, because she's still there, hoping."

"That's what we talked about yesterday. But you must know that I was waiting as well. Letting go was not an option for me, and yet I've made a mess of things." I declared, my solemnity and my voice returning to normal.

"Then maybe is not too late?" he asked, suddenly a spark lighting his eyes. "I know it's an arranged marriage, but if there is a will…"

"There is not a way, Albus. Things have turned out this way because of my own recklessness and foolishness. I cannot begin to tell you how much I regret it, and yet it has to be done. It was sealed by magic, and I am afraid to say, I'll die if I don't do it."

"What did you get yourself into, man?" he asked, finding my tone a bit too somber.

"Into a nightmare, Albus."

"Adulthood is scary, man. Things have turned out completely opposite from what I had imagined." he said, sighing again.

"What's going on with you? You have been unusually nihilistic since this morning." I said, feeling slightly embarrassed for asking up front. "Is it Valerie?"

"No, Valerie is fine. In fact, I think Valerie is the only constantly good thing that's happened to my life." he said, his smile tender. "I got a letter this morning, from the Ministry. Apparently I failed again the Auror program. This is my third time failing it, I have to begin again, another year and a half to the garbage."

"You'll try again, then? Albus, your clumsiness is an obstacle I'm sure-"

"That's not it. I don't care about not being able to become an Auror, or having to spend another year and a half in training. That's fine by me. It's a sad thing when the most scary part of all of this is telling my Dad. I can already see his disappointment, and I am not sure I can deal with it again." he said, his eyes sorrowful.

"Why you do it then?" I asked. "Rose mentioned something about this-"

"Rose is wrong. I am not afraid of trying a career in Runes. Or at least that's not the reason why I don't pursue it."

"Then why?"

"Because of -I guess you would understand. The Potter name is a heavy name to bare. My Dad just assumed I was going into Auror training after Hogwarts, and I was too damn a coward to stand against it. Eventually it became a given that I would become an Auror and he was proud of me, James was a disappointment to him, after he went for his Quidditch career. Quidditch is Mum's thing, Dad is an Auror, he wanted one of his children to follow his footsteps. And I guess the responsibility shifted onto me after James."

"That is a shitty reason, Albus." I said, solemnly. His eyes opened wide and he stared at me with comprehension and interest in his eyes. "Just because you want to impress your father, that's a shitty reason. Just do what you want, and eventually you'll make him proud. You are not sealed by magic to do anything."

"Now, what can I help you with?" asked Madam Malkin standing in front of us. The kid and the witch had gone, and Albus and I didn't even realised we were standing alone in the shop.

"I need some gray dress robes. And a green bow." Albus said.

"You don't have to buy them." I said for the third time.

"I will. I don't want to anger your Mum again, having the wrong robe color in such an important event is preposterous." he said, mocking me. He went into the changing rooms with Madam Malkin and after half an hour of trying on and adjusting, he finally had the correct set of robes that my mother so diligently asked for.

"I could have lended them to you, you know?" I said, getting out of Madam Malkin's.

"Don't worry about it." he said, a cheerful note on his voice. "I can afford my own robes."

"That's not what I meant." I said, simply. "It's just a waste of money."

"I'll be using them tomorrow, and if I change the bow I bet I can use them for other occasions too." he said, patting me on the back. He went ahead of me to the Apparition zone, and as I watched him go, I said: "I don't even know you'll use them tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning around to face me.

"Nothing. I was just...hoping for a miracle." I declared, sighing and walking towards the Apparition zone. I went past Albus, and as I was reaching the designated area he spoke again.

"If you are having cold feet…" he began.

"I know what I have to do, mate. It's impossible to back down, even when I am having cold feet." I said, my eyes set.

"Yes, but, I don't get it. Why did you made such a promise? And with magic! What's going on?" he asked, standing in the Apparition zone too.

"I was seventeen, and I made a mistake, all right? There is not much to it." I said and Apparated out of there. From the Apparition zone in the grounds of the Manor I could see the enormous house imposing in the horizon. I could see the tiny windows and the sun starting to set behind it. When I first left Hogwarts, I constantly dreamed I was trapped inside it, and the more I looked for the exit, the more I got lost inside it. It is a terrible place, and now I was going to live in it forever. As I gazed over it, my eyes focused to a window in the left side on the third floor. Rose was looking at me through the window, her wild red hair sticking out in all directions, completely distinct in the distance. I was going to live in that terrible place without her. _If it's not with her, it might as well be with anybody,_ I thought.

Albus Apparated right behind me and patted me on the back, asking if I was all right. I nodded and headed back to the house. As we entered, Hera came over to me, dragging me into the dining room. She was in the middle of telling her guests (mostly her Hogwarts friends) of how we will go to France for our honeymoon, and how in her fictional universe I was going to take her to all of those expensive restaurants and into the French Riviera. She sat me down beside her, and only glanced at me to make me nod along her conversation. I was already getting fed up with all of it, and we were not even married yet. After what seemed like an hour, my mother entered the dining room and called for me. I stood up as quietly as I could and went to follow her into the kitchen.

"Your friend hasn't come down yet, and it's almost dinner time." she said, looking worried. "Is she ill?"

"My friend? Rose?" I asked.

"Yes."

"I haven't spoken to her yet. Let me see if Albus knows something." I said, slightly worried too.

"I already asked him, but he hadn't seen her today either." she said. "Maybe I should call for a healer?"

"No, let me see what's going on." I knew what was going on. She was running away from me, and I was tempted to let her. It would be easier to just send her home and not look at her ever again. But I couldn't. The fact was that as long as she was here, I could go on with my life. She gave me a sense of reassurance, and if she were to leave, my whole world would crumble. I arrived at her door with the intention of asking her to come out and stay, and yet when she opened the door to answer my calling I said:

"Maybe you should go home." I said, as coolly as possible,

"I was going to come out to dinner, I'm sorry I've worried you and Albus." she said, looking to her feet. Her high heels were specially colorful today and her bright yellow dress was contrasting with her gloomy expression.

"There is no need for that. I understand if you go home. Especially after yesterday night. In fact, I think is better for you to leave. Hera is starting to suspect something and I am afraid she'll call it off." I lied.

Rose looked at me with the most painful expression I have ever seen. Her eyes quickly watered but still she didn't cry. She smiled instead and with her voice cracking she said: "No, I want to stay, I want to see you marry and then I'll know that-"

"You don't understand." I interrupted harshly. "I don't want you to stay. You are just causing me trouble and quite frankly it's nerve racking. Just go home, Rose."

She looked at me silently. Her tears wouldn't fall, and I was starting to feel my own welling up behind my eyes. I could almost hear my heart breaking into a million little pieces as Rose's face changed from smiling to contained sorrow. When at last she spoke, her voice was steady and her tears had disappeared from her eyes. She looked stronger and more resolved than ever, her face sullen and grown up. In that moment I wished for her strength and her determination. She seemed like a person ready to move on, and that, more than anything else, completely shattered my heart.

"Fine." she agreed quietly. "I'll tell Albus at dinner and then I'll go tonight."

"I'll ask him to go home with you." I said, feeling strange and tense.

"Don't. He can stay. He'll go back to the flat in a day anyway." her eyes were steady on me, and with a quick smile she just went past me to go to dinner. I went down behind her, all the time contemplating her back. She had such a slim and thin back, I could almost see her spine through the gap on her back, and I felt the urge to run my fingers through it. I had always thought her freckled skin was the perfect mixture between beauty and tenderness. _I wanted my daughters to have that,_ I thought.

"I'm glad she came down." Hera said to me at the dining table. She was smiling and clinging to my arm. "She drank so much last night. I bet she was hung over."

"Did she tell you something last night?" I whispered to her, for Albus and Rose were coming towards their seats.

"Not much. She didn't reveal any gossip about you if that's what you are worried about." she said, "I bet you were such a boring bloke back at Hogwarts."

"Not particularly." I said, a shy smile creeping to my face. Hogwarts had been such a happy place for me, specifically that last year. And then I went and ruined it all.

"Listen, Hera. I will be going back tonight. I will not be able to stay for the wedding tomorrow." Rose said suddenly at the middle of dinner.

"What?" Hera asked, whining. "Why? Surely you can stay for one more day!"

"It's impossible. I've taken too many days off from work. I work at a shop at Diagon Alley and even on weekends I must go. I'm sorry but I cannot stay." she said, avoiding my eyes.

"But…" Hera began. I grabbed her hand and warned her with my eyes. I instantly felt like a parent scolding his kid.

"If you must go, then there's no helping it." she said, helplessly. "But Albus is staying?"

"Yes. Rose wouldn't let me accompany her. And I'm the best man after all." Albus declared, hiding his anguish with a fake smile.

"Then I'll pack after dinner, and I'll just Apparate to my flat later tonight." she said in a cheerful tone.

The banquet continued as expected, glasses of red wine and firewhiskey were gulped down, but even then, I tried to maintain my composure. If I drunkenly seeked her again I wouldn't forgive myself. Dessert was served in one of the drawing rooms. Rose and Albus went to sit down at the lounge and I was left with Hera. I didn't hear anything about what she was talking about. She could have told me her family secrets, and yet I wouldn't have known. I was thinking only of Rose and of the mistake I was about to commit. Sometime during the dessert service, Hera went away with her sister and I was left standing there in the middle of the room looking absentmindedly in Rose's direction. That fucking prat Richard was talking to her again, but she seemed a little angrier than before. She blew him off, Albus standing up to reassure her point and Richard just went away.

"Your heart is torn." I heard somebody talk behind me. Hera's mother was there, her eyes piercing my face and her demeanor serious.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"You have a good heart, but you'll make a mistake that will turn it bitter." she said, her eyes slightly glossy.

"What must I do?" I asked, more to myself than to her.

"You are the only one that can decide on it. And even if it's not what they are expecting from you, you are the only one that can repair that torn pure heart of yours." she said, solemnly.

"Do you understand what you are implying?"

"I always seek what's right and true. Even if sometimes it doesn't sit well with my husband." she said, glancing back at him. Hera was coming again, a glass of pink liquid in her hand.

"Excuse me." said Hera's mother, and left me there alone.

At 9 o'clock, a house servant asked the men to come to the second drawing room in the second floor, the bachelor party was going to commence. The men slowly went out of the room, the women staying back to talk. Rose and Albus both stood up and hugged, Albus saying goodbye to Rose, and then he went out. I followed him out.

The second drawing room was instantly filled with applause as I entered it. Somebody handed me a firewhiskey glass and prompted me to gulped it down. The burning went through all my throat. Hands grabbed me in every direction, hugging me and patting me on the back. Some of the older guys in the room, seized me aside to give me a piece of their minds about marriage. I forgot them almost immediately.

About an hour later, Father sat down beside me, handing me a flask with mead in it. I took a swing, trying to remember how many drinks I had had. I was still sober, I could tell, but my perception would start to fail if I continued to drink.

"I know you believe it's a punishment. But it's for your own good." he said.

"I understand. I won't run away."

"Being married is not that awful." he said, patting me on the back. "You get to wake up beside a beautiful woman every morning. She'll become your best friend, and you'll learn to be gentle and kind even in extreme situations."

"Are you happy?" I asked, seeing Rose in my mind's eye.

"I am. Your mother was the best thing that could happen to me."

"I get what you mean." I said.

"With Hera? She'll become a great wife and a good mother. You must have children right away."

 _Children,_ I thought, _girls with grey eyes and wild red hair._

"I didn't know you were in a hurry to become a grandparent." I was having trouble keeping Rose out of my mind, and the thought of her pregnant and naked in the bathtub made my heart ache.

"I love kids. And Hera's and yours will be precious and beautiful." he said, solemnly.

"What if they are not Hera's?" I said, in almost a whisper.

"What?" my Father asked. "I didn't hear you."

"I said:" I looked at him with clear eyes. I had no desire whatsoever to become Hera's husband and even though I had been claiming it all along, I already knew the answer: _If it's not with Rose, then it shouldn't be with anyone else._ "Don't count too much on Hera. She's young and it wouldn't be right away."

"Yes, I see."

I hugged my Father. I truly cared about him, he was a good man, and yet, I was going to betray him. Even if it costed me my life, I needed to stop it. I hugged him as if I was not going to see him again, and judging by what I felt, it was a possible outcome. He hugged me back, shyly and with reserve, and then gave me a quizzical look. The Malfoy men didn't hug.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I've caused you too much trouble." I said.

"Scor?" he said, slightly confused. I stood up and smiled at him. I went to mingle with some obliviators that were heavily drinking and singing, and after a couple of hours, I slipped out from the party. I walked briskly to the guest wing, my courage finally appearing and pumping my mind. I had to say it or else I was not going to forgive myself. It didn't matter how things turned out after it, it was just a matter of conveying what I felt in the only way I knew possible. And after that I was just going to go with the flow.

"Please, be here." I whispered to myself, knocking on her door. "Please, answer."

She opened the door. Her eyes red and puffy, her hair wild and red, and her body dressed in a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt. She looked like the most perfect being in the whole world. My heart was swelling and pumping and I felt my tears run down my face. I couldn't control myself any longer. I grabbed her face between my hands and kissed her full on the lips. She separated her face just to look me in the eyes.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." I chanted over and over again. I pushed her inside the bedroom, and close the door behind me.

"You're drunk." she said, holding me back.

"I drank, but I am not drunk." I said, not letting go of her face. "I have never been as sure as I am now about what I feel. Please don't go, stay with me."

"But…" she was crying now. "Hera and the wedding and…"

"I'll call it off. I don't care anymore. I'd rather die than be away from you. I truly love you, I always have and-" Rose's lips pushed against mine, her arms enclosing my neck and standing on tiptoes to reach me better. Her lips moved furiously, trying to open my mouth and pulling me closer by my shirt.

I hugged her by the waist, crushing her between my arms. I was in heaven and I was not going to let her go ever again. My hands wandered down to her ass, and I pulled her right leg over my hip. She jumped and lifted her other leg, wrapping them over my waist. She moaned over my mouth, and I could feel my blood rushing down to my member. Her hands were pulling my hair, being erotic as hell. I walked toward the bed, kissing her with a fervor I had never experienced before. When I felt the mattress hit my knees, I threw her over, she looked ravishing there on the bed, her curls sprawled on the white bed sheets, her legs squirming with anticipation.

I leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips, my hips between her legs and her hands quickly finding the skin of my back. I didn't even had time to unbutton my shirt, Rose pulled it up with one swift movement, and then caressed my stomach and my chest, biting my lower lip. I felt a moan escape my lips and then I was pushed against the mattress. She was on top of me in an instant, getting the t-shirt out of the way. Her lacy black bra was ridiculously out of place in her outfit, and yet it lifted splendidly her round breasts. She had become bigger and fuller, and my palm excellently fitted over them. She unclasped her bra without thinking and let me see her. I sat down with her still straddling me, and took her left breast into my mouth. She pulled my hair, and moaned. We kissed and I teased her breast some more, and the only thought in my mind was having her and how delicious she was.

I turned us around again, and I stood up from the bed, pulling down her shorts. Her panties matched her bra, and I could see a little of red hair peeking out from the lace. My penis was hard, so hard it was painful inside my trousers, and yet I stood there for some seconds, looking directly at her red hair and her lacy black underwear. She already smelled like sex, and it was so beautiful that I couldn't control it. I ripped the lacy undergarments with my fingers, brushing her wet center as I did so. She yelped, but laughed and started touching herself. She was more than ready, she was impatient.

I slid a finger inside her and bended down to lick her pussy. She squirmed with anticipation, whispering my name. My fingers explored and I found the small protuberance where I knew she liked being rubbed. At least some things had remained the same. It had scarcely been four or five minutes and I felt her muscles clench and the lower part of her stomach tremble. A loud moan broke out from her lips, her legs closing and trapping my hand. I smirked at her, she looked worn and I still hadn't entered her. I pulled down my trousers and my pants at the same time, my dick finally being freed. It sprang right up, at the familiar scene. She smiled with glossy eyes, and opened her legs again for me, inviting me to crawl right in. I propped my body in my elbows, adjusting my penis over her opening. I felt tears again at the back of my eyes, and I gulped down to suppress them.

"It's all right, I'm not a virgin." she joked.

"I fucking love you so much. You must know I had never done it with anyone else." I said, a tear finally departing my eye.

"Me neither." she said, crying too. "I have always waited for you to come back to me."

And with that I entered her. I pushed all the way inside her in one abrupt movement, making her scream from pain. She was still really tight and I was having a hard time containing my semen inside me. I pumped, slowly at first, and when I could see her face relaxing and her hands gripping my shoulders, I pumped faster, without reserve and as lovingly as I could. In a matter of seconds I was pushing so fast and erratically that I came inside her. My whole body went limp and I collapsed on top of her, tears falling freely. Since when had I become such a crybaby? But I couldn't help it. I felt completely full and loved and I had no desire whatsoever of moving.

"Oh Rose," I said, burying my face on her breast. "I love you. I love you with all my heart."

"I love you too." her voice was strained and contained, and I could feel her sobs reverberating inside her chest. She was trying to control her crying, but silent tears were already running down her face.

We layed there for what seemed hours, her breathing eventually settling, and my extasis swelling up my heart. I had to tell her the truth. I could no longer keep it to myself and she would have the answer I was looking for. She was my whole life and there was nothing I wanted to keep from her. I rolled away from her, lying on my back on the mattress and holding her hand.

"I made a mistake, a reckless mistake, when we were still at Hogwarts." I said, looking at the ceiling. She was quiet, but was listening. "When we were in our sixth year, and I went home for New Year's, I intended to tell my parents about you. I wanted them to at least be open to the idea of us dating, but I never got the chance of saying it. At the New Year party, my Father told me he had found a bride for me. Naturally, I was shocked and angry, and I didn't ask for the specifics before refusing. But he was persistent, and said I was to marry because it was what a Malfoy should do. He said the marriage was to be beneficial for me because Hera's father was a high ranked minister and he was going to make sure I had a good job where I could make a difference.

"But I didn't want to, I wanted to be with you and I wanted to make my own decisions. So I challenged him to a duel. Do you remember about the wand? The one we found at the Room of Requirement? I thought, because of what we researched and what my Grandmother had told me, that if I fought with it, I was sure to win. So the terms of the challenge were that if I won I could do whatever I pleased, and marry whomever I chose. But if I lost, I would have to marry Hera without complaint when the time came."

"You lost." Rose said, squeezing my hand.

"I did. I lost miserably. We were wrong about the wand, and I was a fool for even thinking I could win against him. I rushed into it and I was left facing this nightmare. As it was bounded by magic, I figured even my life was at risk if I didn't do my part."

"That's why you broke up with me."

"Yes. I couldn't drag you into it because I was going to marry Hera. I had no other choice. But you were so persistent and so cute and I loved you so much even then. So we ended up making love. That's why I couldn't continue at Hogwarts. I knew that if I returned to our seventh year, I was not going to be able to part from you." I said, turning to hug her. She relaxed in my arms, wrapping her body over mine.

"You fool." she said, her voice muffled by my chest. "I could have helped, I could have thought of…"

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought it up until a couple hours ago. But I can't. You are my whole life, and I am not ready to live without you."

She separated from me, looking at me directly to my face. "Do you think I would be able to live without you? Do you realise what will happen if you don't fulfill the challenge? You might die, and I couldn't bare it."

"Rose…"

"You have to marry her, because if you die, I'll die with you." and she started crying hard, her tiny body trembling and her face red and swollen. I cried too, my heart breaking and my resolve wavering.


	18. Chapter 18: The True Desires of One's He

Chapter 18: The True Desires of One's Heart

I woke up with the sun in my eyes. I had forgotten to close the curtains the night before, but truth be told I had not planned on staying. Scorpius was not there anymore. I heard him leave when it was still night, and I saw him get dressed in the thin moonlight. He glanced back at me, and I closed my eyes, pretended I was still asleep, and then he quietly kissed my forehead and left the room. I cried for some time, but my tears ran out sometime around dawn and I fell back asleep.

So when the sun entered my bedroom window, Scorpius had been long gone, his place in the mattress was already cold, and I could no longer smelled his scent in my body. I got up to shower, even if I couldn't smell it, I still had to get rid of it. It was his wedding day, and having the other woman smelling of sex was out of the question.

 _Would it really be that bad to be the other woman?_ , I asked myself entering the shower. After what he had told me last night, this situation was not the worst I could think of. I could just stay unmarried and we could have an affair and everything would turn out great. But the truth was, it wouldn't be great, I will forever be unhappy about it. Sharing him with somebody else, even if it was his wife, was something I couldn't do. _I_ wanted to be the wife!

And yet I knew he had to marry Hera. That kind of old magic was dangerous, and the unfulfillment of a challenge was known to cause death. We had repeatedly studied it at Hogwarts in History of Magic, so his fear made perfect sense. Even if his Father hadn't wanted him to die, if the proper arrangements were done then the duel was most certainly true, and thus the consequences would be true too. I felt a stab to the heart thinking about it.

The wedding was going to start in a couple of hours in the main garden of the Manor, I couldn't leave Scorpius now. I wanted to be there with him, and even though it would break my heart, I needed to stay and watch him get married, and then I would move on, and forget about him, and eventually he would too.

I put on the dress I had bought for the ceremony, it was an emerald long dress that fitted perfectly with my curves and lifted my breasts in a soft and tender manner. I had bought this with the intention of letting Scorpius see what he was missing, but now I wanted to hide myself and make everything easier for him.

I went down for brunch. Albus was sitting in a bench near the rose bushes, he had the grey robes and green bow he had bought the day before, and he looked really handsome. Slytherin colors really suited him, although he would never admitted it, a Gryffindor through and through. He looked up while I approached, a flute of champagne in his hand.

"I thought you left." he said, sliding down the bench to let me sit down beside him.

"I couldn't…" I said, reddening a little. "Let's just say I have a different opinion now."

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"You don't want to know." I said, smiling. Having sex with an almost married man was not going to go well with Albus. "Did you talk to Uncle Harry?"

"About Auror training?" Albus said, looking gloomy. "Of course not. I'm thinking about something."

"About what?"

"Maybe I'll just apply for a job at Gringotts." he said in a small voice.

"Really?"

"Yes, I've always loved Runes, and Scorpius is right, Dad would be proud of me no matter what. And maybe if I get the job, I'll finally be able to marry Valerie. I know she's been waiting for a ring for sometime now."

"Oh, Albus," I said, hugging him. "I'm so proud of you. I thought you would have done something like this two failed trainings ago."

"Yes, well, you have a stubborn cousin, all right?" he said, laughing.

"Tell me about it."

"So you have to move on, too." he said, taking my hand into his. "We should both move forward, and just forget about him, all right?"

"I'll try. Things are impossible after all." I said. "Just have a little more patience with me. I promise I'll move forward."

A house servant came with drinks in a tray, asking us to join the rest of the guests at the brunch table that was set in one of the side gardens of the house. Albus and I stood up and followed him. Butterflies began to stir in my stomach, I was nervous because of Scorpius and Hera and me reveling, without intending to, my feelings. I was extremely happy because of what had happened last night, and yet I was completely broken for what was going to happen in our immediate future.

"Rose!" said Hera from the table. "You, silly. I really thought you were going back home!"

"I was." I said simply, sitting right across Scorpius. They weren't dress yet, both of them were sporting a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "I decided to stay, not everyday my best friend from Hogwarts gets married."

Scorpius laughed and looked at me with those adorable grey eyes of his. He tried to stop his shy smile from bursting out, and just kept eating his Treacle tart in silence. Hera kept chatting to one of her sisters, occasionally remarking how handsome Albus looked in his formal robes, and how Scorpius would look even more handsome when he put on his. Scorpius was ignoring her, he was stealing glances at me, smiling when I caught his eye, and at the middle of brunch, his foot found mine and he caressed it with the upper part. I blushed slightly, and clearing my throat, I took off my shoe and trailed his leg all the way to his knee with my bare sole. He blushed too, smiling even more shyly than before.

"We better go now, Scor." Hera said, pulling his arm. "We have to get ready."

Scorpius got up from the table, and followed her into the Manor. Albus was looking at me in a menacing way and I kept eating as unsuspectedly as possible.

"You know I saw that, right?" he whispered.

"Yes." I said simply. "I told you you wouldn't want to know."

"Please tell me it was an innocent thing." he implored.

"Not exactly…" I blushed furiously. "He said he was going to call it off, and then one thing led to another, and we were both naked-"

"Say no more, please." Albus said, looking angrier by the second. "What are you thinking? And why is he still getting married?"

"He can't call it off, Albus. He is bound by magic." I whispered furiously. The brunch table was getting empty, the guests were wandering towards the main garden where the wedding was taking place. "You know how that old magic works. I cannot let him just die."

"He mentioned something like that yesterday." Albus sighed. "Please, Rose. If he is getting married, just stop flirting. He is not going to be yours anymore."

"I know that!" I spat.

"So what are you saying? Is he going to have an affair with you?"

"No!" I said, tears already welling up in my eyes. "I'll forget about him."

"Then start now, for Merlin's sake. Having sex and flirting, that's not moving on." he was red on the face, he was clearly angry and Albus almost never got angry.

"Fine." I sighed. Albus was completely right, and yet last night was still fresh in my memory. After five long years I had Scorpius Malfoy in my arms, inside me, again. He was everything to me, and eventually memories would be the only things I had left of him. I couldn't help flirting and being happy, because in a matter of hours our whole relationship was going to die.

We wandered too in the gardens. Albus scolded me all the while, and I nodded along. The house was enormous and sometime before the wedding we wandered into a greenhouse. They had a collection of roses of different colors and the smell from them wafted through my nose, flooding my lungs. It was the most beautiful part of the garden, and it seemed so romantic. _This is where Scorpius is going to bring his future wife,_ I thought. And before I could control myself, I was desperately crying. Albus hugged me as best as he could, but he was not enough to control my tears and my sadness and everything that now seemed like death itself. My heart was aching and there was nothing I could do.

"Rose, please don't cry." Albus said, patting my head.

"I-I-ca-can't st-st-stop!" I wailed into his arms and chest. My makeup was ruined, and my hair was almost certainly undone, but I didn't care. I needed to get everything out of my chest, or else I would become destroyed during the wedding ceremony.

"What are you doing here?" Albus said after some minutes.

"I needed to see her." Scorpius's voice came through the air, like the smell of the sweet roses. "Please, one last time."

"Don't make things worse." Albus warned, detaching himself from me. I looked up at his face, he was tranquil and serene, the anger he had previously displayed was long gone, and he looked at Scorpius with pity and tenderness.

"I promise." Scorpius was right behind me, I felt his rough palm caressing my back and then he turned me around and hugged me, my face burying in his shoulder and my arms automatically wrapping themselves around his waist. I cried some more, and I could feel him sobbing silently. I don't know for how long we were there, I didn't even noticed when Albus went away.

"It's almost time." he said, finally disentangling himself from me. I looked at him, he had his grey dress robes already on, his hair was a little messy and his green bow was the exact match to my dress. Hera was right, he was the most handsome bloke in the party.

"Yes, I know." I said, my hands resting on his chest. "I love you, Scor."

"I love you too, Rosie." he said, kissing me lightly on the nose. "Leaving you like this is breaking my heart. I wish there was something else I could do."

"You have to do it." I said, caressing his cheek. "After some months you will not even remember me, you'll be in happy oblivion with your new wife."

"That's not going to happen. I will not be able to forget you." he said, his eyes filling with tears again and tightening the grip he had on my waist. "You are my whole life and-"

"Don't worry anymore. We had more than what we should have had. And I don't regret anything all right?" I was closer now. I wanted to kiss him, and have him for one last time, even if it meant breaking my heart again, I just wanted him.

"I feel I am dying anyway." he kissed me lightly on the mouth, our lips touching with tenderness. It was like an electric shock going through my spine entering from my mouth. I deepened our kiss, introducing my tongue in his mouth, and he willingly complied. Our lips were moving like a melody, dancing to the rhythm of our accelerated heartbeats. His hands fumbled over my ass and around my back, and I couldn't rest still, I kept pulling his hair and fisting his robes.

He unzipped my dress, making it drop to the floor, and I was left only in my underwear and high heels. I was so turned on and sad and a mixture of everything that had happened and I had felt, that I just let him kiss my face and then my neck, and then my collarbone.

"What if somebody comes?" I asked between breaths.

"Nobody is coming, everybody is at the wedding." he said, throwing the upper part of his robes to the floor. He proceeded to unbutton his white shirt, his green bow already undone and on the floor.

"This will be the last time, right?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes," he said, his breath ragged and his hands fumbling with the clasp of my bra. "We'll move on after this."

"I'll miss it." I said, my bra sliding off and his trousers hitting the floor.

"Turn around." he commanded, grabbing my hips and bending me down. He captured my left leg and lifted it up, adjusting me to his height. He set my panties aside, and I felt how he slowly slid his penis inside me. I was aching for him, and his member filled me up like water to the thirsty.

"I love you so much, Rosie." he said, pumping slowly. He was making it last, not like last night when we were both desperate and horny and reckless. He was savoring the last time, making me built up my orgasm and chanting a whole life's worth of I love yous.

He started pumping faster and more erratically, but his grip on my leg and my hip didn't wavered. His long shaft was hitting the right spot, and his balls were pressuring my clitoris. I felt my orgasm near, and as he kept pumping I started touching myself, my whole body trembling with anticipation.

"Ahh, Scor," I said, panting, closing my eyes and feeling the explosion from deep within my stomach. "I love you, Scor, I fucking love you,"

I felt his juices spilling inside my womb, his breathing erratic and his whole body trembling like mine. He let go of my leg and straightened my panties. I turned around to face him, he had his trousers up, and handed me my bra. I put it on slowly, trying to stretch time, and trying to imprint in my memory to the last detail. He was almost dressed when I finally clasped my bra. He smiled at me, his eyes watered and his breathing ragged.

"Let me help you." he said, stepping around me and pulling my dress up. He zipped it with infinite delicacy and when it was done, he rested his forehead on my shoulder and hugged me from behind.

"Scor…"

"Let me stay like this for a little bit." he whispered, burying his face into my hair and neck.

"I love you." I whispered back, squeezing his arms around my waist and feeling tears spill out from my eyes again. We stayed like that for brief minutes, we could hear people talking in the far background and in the distance a quartet was playing.

"There must be a way." he said, and then he let go of me. I heard him leave and I was left all alone inside the greenhouse, my hair a mess, my makeup undone, and my love shattered. Finally, I accepted what was to come, and I made my way into the house, finding a bathroom to make my appearance right again.

My reflection didn't lie. I was a complete mess, traces of makeup ran through my face, black lines going down my cheeks. My hair was wilder than ever and curls were sticking out in every direction. I washed my face and applied some mascara and lipstick, it was simple, but it was enough. My hair proved to be difficult to handle, but in the end, I managed to tame it and my curls laid over my shoulders. I wasn't keen on leaving the room and going to the ceremony, but I promised myself I was going to support him and watch him marry and be there for him.

When I arrived at the main garden, Albus was already sitting down in a chair near the front. Almost all the guests had arrived, there were few empty chairs left, and I realised it was almost time. I made my way to Albus, circling the chairs so as not to pass through the bridal aisle. And as I walked on the grass with high heels, I stepped over someone else. The woman was older and she was making her way into the rows of chairs like me, she was blond and had a pointy nose. An older man with grey eyes and white hair was leading her, and when she saw me, she let go of what I presume was her husband's arm.

"You are a Weasley." she said, disdain on her voice.

"I am." I said proudly.

"And not any Weasley. You are Rose." she said, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. "I didn't know you liked being torture."

"Excuse me? Who are you?" I said, feeling irritated. The words torture and Malfoy Manor were not gladly taken.

"It doesn't matter." she said, an evil smirk playing in her thin lips. "I told the boy to fight five years ago."

"He tried." I said, my heart ripping apart, and tears welling inside my eyes again.

"He should try again." she said, simply. "Excuse me." and then she went into her seat, her husband looking at me with aversion. I made my way to my seat, my insides churning and my head hot.

"That woman," I whispered to Albus in an angry ranter. "how dare she."

"Scorpius's grandmum?" he asked. "She has always been sweet to me."

"Shut up." I said. But my anger was suddenly cut short, for the quartet started playing the wedding march, and everybody stood up and looked at the back of the aisle. Scorpius came in with his mother, and he looked completely heartbroken. Our eyes met while he was walking up, his face pleading and scared.

"Scor…" he was really going to get married, he was already at the altar, his mother had sat down and a procession of bridesmaids and flower girls were making their way to the front. My chest was contrite and I felt a sudden jerk inside my stomach. I was going to be sick.

He was staring at the back, waiting for Hera to make her appearance, his face submerged in agony and misery. I could see the remorse on him and how badly he wanted to run away. His father said something to him from the front row and he smiled at him. And then Hera emerged from the back of the garden, looking like a little princess in her wedding gown. Scorpius shook his head and as all cameras and eyes were set on Hera, he stepped down from the altar and walked towards me.

Nobody noticed that he was not where he was suppose to, until he had reached me and grabbed my hand and was pulling me away. Hera stood there frozen, watching us go back and making our way towards the house. I could hear people furiously whispering and Scorpius's Mother and Father apologizing and making their way towards us.

Scorpius didn't even look back until we had gone from the main garden into the side one, where the rose bushes and the benches were, he leaded me into the bushes, and we stepped into a wide clearing surrounded by flowers, it was impossible to see anything above the plants, it was like a secret garden.

He turned back to me, and pulled me to his chest. He was sobbing and kissing my hair, his arms crushing my tiny frame and pleading me not to move. I hugged him back, my head resting peacefully on his chest and my tears flowing freely.

"What are you doing? Go back or else…" I said, my voice muffled by his chest.

"Rose…" he sobbed. His heart was rapidly beating and his whole body was trembling.

"Scorpius, what the fuck are you doing?" came a roaring voice behind us. His father was red on the face, shaking from head to toe. His mother came into the clearing right behind him, her expression disappointed and preoccupied.

"Son, please come back." his mother pleaded.

"I can't." he said, not letting go of me, and facing his parents. "I won't marry Hera."

The next thing that happened was so fast and so dreadful that I had no time to act. Suddenly Scorpius was on the floor, painfully grabbing his chest, screaming and paling. I immediately kneeled down beside him, hugging him and trying to protect him. I heard Scorpius's mother screaming for her son, and Scorpius father stepped around, hovering above us.

"Scorpius!" I was screaming his name, trying to make him come back to normal, but his grey eyes we losing focus and he kept grabbing his chest.

"He must try again!" I suddenly remembered, yelling at his father. "Challenge him again!"

"He must marry her or…" his father's voice was flat and monotone, his eyes piercing over his dying son.

"Challenge him again!" I screamed again. His father gaped at us for what seemed an eternity, and then Scorpius's mother was there with me, kneeling and crying and trying to hug him.

"Challenge him, Draco!" she yelled even more fiercely than I did.

"Fine!" he said, drawing out his wand and pointing it to Scorpius's almost limp body. "I challenge you to a duel, Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius looked up at him, his eyes focusing once more, and letting go of his chest. He regained a little color and he nodded, drawing his ancient wand from within his robes. He was still weak, but between his mother and I, we managed to set him on his feet. He spoke with difficulty and his breathing was hollowed.

"If I win...I-I'll be free-to…" he started, struggling with his speech.

"You'll be free to marry whomever you choose." his father concluded. "But if I win, you'll go back to the garden and marry Hera."

His father stepped closer for them to shake hands, and then stepped back to get into a dueling position. Scorpius did the same, but he was still pretty shaken up, his stance was awkward and he looked like he was about to faint.

"Stupefy!" his father cried. The spell hit Scorpius right on the chest, and he stumbled backwards, falling onto the grass. His wand was still in his hand, and refusing my help, he stood up.

"I won't lose." he said. "Baubillious!"

"Arresto Momentum!" Scorpius's father said, flicking his wand and making the white jet from Scorpius to slow down and almost freeze. Scorpius staggered, but kept his wand up right.

"Confringo!" his father counter-attacked.

"Protego!" Scorpius said, sending the spell bouncing into a bush and setting it on fire. Scorpius's mother was so mortified that she didn't even blink with her shrubs on fire. Scorpius was getting weaker, his stance was falling apart and receiving the impact of these spells was making him lose balance and force. He was not going to last much longer.

"Ebublio!" was Scorpius's incantation, a jet of purple sparks were sent flying everywhere, but just as the sparks were going to hit his father, he flicked his wand and cried "Impedimenta!" and the purple sparks met a blast of yellow light.

Both hexes lingered in midair, Scorpius's father was wielding his wand at his son, trying to unlock the light, but Scorpius was being dragged backwards by the force of the spells. After some minutes, his father managed to unlocked the hex, sending it charging into Scorpius's direction. He just had time to cover his face with his arms, as the yellow and purple light erupted over him, sending him flying backwards. He still had his wand clutched firmly in his hand when he hit the floor, and I could see from his eyes he was about to faint. Scorpius's father came over to him, willing to finish the duel.

"Draco, please!" Scorpius's mother pleaded, she was on the floor sobbing for her dear child, and I had not realised I was desperately crying too, my tears running down and my hands furiously gripping my wand, at the ready in case something happened to him.

Scorpius's father looked at his wife, he had a wild and menacing expression looking at his son and dueling, but upon seeing his wife on the floor sobbing, his expression changed, making him seem tender and gentle. His son was lying on the floor, his wand still pointed at his father, and his body was sprawled and his eyes glassy.

"Expelliarmus!" Scorpius cried, his voice barely above a whisper, and his consciousness leaving him. His father saw the intention and the incantation and the blue light flowing weakly to him, and yet he opened his arms and let the spell hit him full on the chest, making him stumble and fall and his wand flew up into the air and landed over Scorpius's body.

The duel was over.

I ran over to Scorpius at the same time his mother did. We both cried his name and tried to wake him up, her mother was frantically moving him and shaking him, her voice cracking and full of fear. Scorpius's father was still on the floor, unable to move, crying silently for his only son.

"He's still alive." I said, feeling calmer by the second and watching the skin of his neck pulsing. "He's just unconscious."

"Oh, thank Merlin!" his mother cried, burying her face on his chest and sobbing. His father stood up and picked up his wand from the floor, turning around and getting out of the clearing. And then I heard Albus's voice behind me, imploring me to move.

"I'll take him to his room." he said to Scorpius's mother, picking him up from the floor. "Better call the healer."

"Come on, dear." she said, extending her hand to me. I was still on the floor, my limbs unable to move. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and then I started really crying, violently and painfully. My chest was ripping apart and my whole body was trembling. I couldn't stand up, or move, or even say thank you to Mrs. Malfoy. I was just there, crying and feeling awful.

"Oh, sweetie." I heard Scorpius's mother say, and then I felt a large cloth over my shoulders, and her skinny fingers enclosing my arms and taking me under her wing. She behaved exactly like a mother was suppose to be, and then she whispered sodding thanks into my ear.

"You saved him…" she kept saying all the way into the house. "Thank you! Thank you!"

She left me in my room so I could wash and change and then she told me somebody was going to come and pick me up so I could see how Scorpius was doing. But I couldn't wait, so I showered and clothed as fast as I could, my hands still shaking and my whole body feeling numb, and made my way to Scorpius's room. His mother was outside the door, sitting in one of the large armchairs that decorated the hallway; Albus was there too, resting over the wall. He looked at me and came over, a little farther apart from Mrs. Malfoy.

"He'll be fine." he whispered to me. "They just have to make sure he doesn't have any internal damage. The healer said he was lucky, it's not usual to survive an unbreakable vow."

"But it wasn't an unbreak-"

"Not exactly, but that kind of ancient magic still applies." he said, clearing his throat. "He was awake when I left the room. He was asking for you."

"Oh." I said, feeling lighter. "Is he alone?"

"Yes. His father was in there, but he came out a little while ago looking murderous. I guess he wasn't happy about the wedding being called off."

"How did it go?" I asked, feeling ashamed suddenly with the guests and Scorpius's grandparents.

"It was kind of funny, really. After all of you left, people wanted to follow along, specially Hera and her parents, but his grandmother stood up and demanded that everyone remained seated. If anyone attempted to leave, she'd hexed the living lights out of them. Nobody seemed to want to challenge an old woman like that." Albus said chuckling. "We heard some yelling and the like, but nobody dared to move. And then Scorpius's dad came and told me to go and fetch him."

"They dueled, but, Albus," I said, looking him in the eye and lowering my voice. "I think he...Mr. Malfoy lost on purpose."

"It wouldn't surprise me. Scorpius is his son after all." Albus said.

"Yes. I guess." I said, leaning on the wall too. "It just felt like something had changed."

After some minutes, the healer came out the door, and he went away with Scorpius's mother to talk privately. The door was slightly opened and I seized my chance.

"Wait, Rose…" Albus warned, but I was already inside the door. Scorpius's figure was sleeping soundly on the bed. His white blond hair was tousled and his face had some bruises. I went to sit down beside him on the bed. The bed sheet laid over his waist, leaving his torso exposed. He had huge bruises over his chest and arms, and I felt the need to kiss them all away. I leaned forward, and peck him on the lips. He was so peaceful and tranquil and I knew everything would be fine.

"Rosie…" he mumbled, he had his eyes half opened, and his hand had abruptly grabbed my arm. "Where had you been?"

"I was right here. What are you saying?" I said, caressing his cheek, and smiling sweetly at him.

"Good." he said, pouting like a little kid. "You better not go anywhere."

"Of course not, you silly. I'll stay with you forever." and as this words escaped my mouth, I heard the bedroom door opening.

"I'll go back out, Mrs. Malfoy." I said to his mother. Scorpius heard my words and tightened the grip on my arm.

"No, you can stay. I know you'll take care of him." and then she closed the door again, leaving us alone.

"So you are free now. Thanks to the wand. Maybe we were right after all." I said casually.

"Yes. Although, I have this feeling." he said, his voice cracking. "Like it was not suppose to make me win, but make my father lose."

"But," I said, snickering a little. "That's the same thing, you dufus."

"I guess so." he whispered, his brows furrowed. "I still have to talk to Hera, anyway. I asked my Dad not to tell her anything, I wanted to apologise in person."

"So you'll just apologise and everything will be fine?" I asked.

"Don't worry about anything, Rosie. As long as I have you, I'll be fine."

 **A/N: Hello! The story is not over yet, there's still two more chapters to come, but rest assure that they'll be happy and loving and cute. No more suffering, my readers. I want to thank everyone that has reviewed until this point, you comments really are motivating and thanks to them I have been able to come this far in this story. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

 **I'll try to release the remaining two chapters as fast as I can, I promise, and please read it until the very end, this story has been so fun to write, and I hope it was equally as fun to read. Thank you all!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Idle Moments of a Sunday

**A/N: Hello! I know I said I was going to be quick in updating, but finals and school got in the way and I was not able to keep writing before today. Please forgive me, and don't give up on the story, we just have one more chapter left apart from this one and then it will be completed. Please, please, tell me what you think about it, don't be shy, and help me be a better writer. I love all kinds of reviews. Thank you!**

Chapter 19: The Idle Moments of a Sunday Afternoon

"Ugh," I moaned, my eyes still closed and my mind slipping into consciousness. "What are you doing?"

"Are you nervous?" she said, her mouth sucking harder than before.

"Yes." I opened my eyes just to see Rose's red wild hair all over my nether region. "Rosie…"

"Yes?" she said, the humming her voice produced tickling my shaft.

"I would really appreciate it if you wait until I'm fully awake." I said, closing my eyes again and drowning in the pleasing sensation.

"I wanted to surprise you." she said sweetly, grabbing my penis with one hand so she could look at me. "And I want you to relax."

I realised at that instant that she was completely naked, her ass lifted and her breasts dangling in the air. She was clothed the night before, but somehow now she was naked and I had my pants down.

"Merlin, Rose. You are a randy woman." I said, pulling a pillow under my head to look at her better.

"You were ready." her hand went up and down my shaft, slowly massaging. "You were really anxious last night. Is it worse today? Worse than when you met Uncle Percy?"

"Definitely." I said, lifting my hips to make her pump a little faster. "Meeting him was about the job, today is about you."

"It's been six months, I don't want to drag it out. I want to do it right this time." she said, licking the top.

"Please, don't stop." I pleaded, lifting my hips again. "You're killing me."

Rose laughed out loud, that precious laugh of hers, with which she just made all my troubles disappeared. She took my member whole in her mouth, gagging slightly when she arrived at the very bottom. She squeezed my balls with her free hand and started moving her tongue under it, sucking lightly at the tip.

"Ahh." I moaned, closing my eyes again. She was getting better at it. Her mouth had found rhythm and her hand was pressuring it in the right way. She kept that pace for some minutes, and then I could feel her relax her hand, she was getting tired. I opened my eyes, and she was smirking at me, sucking hard the top.

"Don't do that!" I warned, feeling my whole body contract from the pleasure.

"Why?" she pouted and then she sucked hard again.

"Oh, fuck, Rose." I sighed. "You'll make me cum."

"Good." she said, sucking a third time. I could barely contained it, my hips buckled and my penis complained painfully.

"Stop." I demanded. She halted, her eyes round and inquisitive. She let go of my shaft, and I pulled her up to my mouth. She tasted salty and her body already reeked of sex. We kissed passionately, her tongue darting inside me, and my hands groping her naked breasts. She sat down over my lap, and I could feel her wetness soaking my skin. She was certainly ready. I sat up and made her turn around. Her hands and knees were over the mattress, the full length mirror she had by the door was adjusted so I could see us having sex.

"I love you." I said in a tender voice. I had learned to say it in many forms, but the tender-voice-I-love-you was usually whenever Rose was the most cute.

She laughed out loud again, and pushed herself to me, but as I was not even in position yet, she just slammed her ass against my leg. She whined.

"Easy, baby." I said, smacking her ass. "You need to say it first."

"I don't want to." she said, in a pouty voice. "Get it in, you prat."

"No, no, baby." I said, smacking her ass harder. "No words, no sex."

"Ah," she sighed, pouting even more playfully over her shoulder. "No, you haven't done anything to deserve it."

"Should I tease you a little bit?" I asked, introducing a finger in her opening and then quickly getting it out.

"Ah, Scor!" she said, her hips pushing against my hand. "Get it in, idiot!"

I laughed. I introduced two fingers then, circling inside for a second and then getting them out, wet and ready. She whined again in a flirtatious way, her ass sticking even farther up into the air. I spanked her again, and she laughed.

"Fine!" she said, smirking over her shoulder and looking at me. "I love you! I fucking love you, Scorpius Malf-"

I entered her forcefully, pushing her so that she had to grip the mattress. Her words drowned in a moan and her whole body rocked against mine. I slid out slowly and then entered her once more, she was trembling and moaning and making sexy sounds. I was not going to last much, and I was just hanging there until she could orgasm.

"Ahh, Scor," she said, her hips bucking and her head thrown back. "I-"

"Are you cumming?" I panted, my muscles clenching and my orgasm at the brink of happening.

"Ah!" she moaned loudly. I couldn't keep it in any longer, my juices spilling inside her and my muscles relaxing and my whole body convulsing. I slid out of her, my semen still dripping from her pussy. She sat down on the mattress, her face and shoulders flushed and her breathing ragged.

"Did you…?" I asked, flopping onto the bed, my heart threatening to get out of my chest.

"Ehm…" she said, lying beside me, her head resting on my chest, I hugged her.

"You didn't?!" I asked, my face falling.

"I was about to. But you finished first." she said, her face turning red.

"I thought you were cumming with that loud moan!" I said, covering my eyes with my hand.

"It's fine, love. You'll make it up to me later." she said, biting lightly my shoulder. "We'll have plenty of time tonight."

"But now I'll have an unsatisfied girlfriend for the whole day." I said, turning over my stomach to hide my face in the pillow.

"We can always find a way in my parents' house." she said jokingly. She smacked my then expose ass and she walked out of bed.

"Not a chance!" I said, lifting my face to see her bend over to grab her clothes from the floor. I loved that view. She was the most beautiful naked, and pouting, and smiling, and laughing, and crying. _I am completely in love with this woman,_ I thought. It had been already six months since I almost marry another woman, but I still felt a little shiver go down my spine remembering the incident. If Rose hadn't come along in time, I would have been ruined for life. She was my whole world now, and I planned in maintaining it that way for a long time.

"Don't come into the shower." she said, opening the door to the bathroom. "I need to wash properly this time."

"I always wash you properly!" I said jokingly.

"You get me dirtier!" and she disappeared behind the door. After Rose had showered, I stepped into the tiny bathroom. I was not officially living there, I was still living at the Manor, but as our relationship grew, I started spending all my time in her small flat. In the beginning I asked her if I could come over, Albus was never around with his new job, and I would come over and go home whenever Albus came back. But from two or three month back, I started spending the night, and then I started going to her flat directly after work every day. Last week I went to the Manor just once, to get a new set of robes and replace my toothbrush and I came straight back. In the miniature bathroom, our things cluttered the sink. I already had a sponge in her shower beside her luffa, and my razor and aftershave were lazily hanging about. This flat, this bathroom, and the bedroom we shared felt more like home than the Manor ever did.

I wrapped a towel around my waist and made my way into the bedroom. Rose was already clothed and she was applying simple makeup to her face. I loved the way her freckles stayed visible even with her best efforts to cover them up. I kissed the top of her head and made my way into the closet. Half the closet was already mine, and I smiled at the thought. We were in silence, savoring the idle moments of a Sunday mid day, our hearts content and perfectly happy.

"Oh! Albus!" the cry came from the other side of the wall. Valerie's moans and lovemaking sounds were starting to feel too familiar for my taste.

"We seriously need to move out." I said to Rose. Her face was red and she had a disgusted expression. Thumping sounds started and we could actually hear the bed creek.

"They got engaged a week ago. I guess you can't blame them for being loud." she said, shrugging her shoulders, but collecting her purse and scarf to get out of there. "Plus, we just did the same."

"Well, yes." I said, getting my coat from the rack at the door. "But I usually put a silencing charm on the room before anything else. I don't want Albus to murder me in my sleep."

When we stepped out the bedroom, the sounds became wilder and louder. Valerie was a serious and timid person, but whenever Albus fucked her, she became someone else entirely. If it weren't for the fact that I could hear everything that was going on, it could have been even comical. Rose banged on Albus's bedroom door heavily, and screaming over the lovesounds, she informed him that we were leaving and that he and Valerie were expected too.

"Don't be late!" she said, and then as an afterthought, she included, "And please use a silencing charm the next time!"

The room was immediately silenced, and I sighed with relief. Rose laughed and holded my hand in hers, and we made our way out of the flat. Winter was already at its fullest and the streets in Diagon Alley were all heavily covered in snow. The shops showed Christmas decorations and a huge bewitched Christmas tree was placed in the middle of Diagon Alley, Christmas carols magically emanating from it. We walked hand in hand, our shoes sinking slightly in the snow. We could have Apparated directly, but Rose loved to walk and then Floo in.

"We should consider renting another flat." I said seriously, squeezing her hand.

"Yeah…" she said absentmindedly. She always did the same whenever I mentioned moving in together just the two of us. "Some day…"

"I mean it." I said, looking directly to her flushed face.

"Oh, Scor, I'm having a perfect Sunday. I don't want to ruin it by fighting with you." she said, smiling and leading me over to watch the tiny moving Christmas decorations in the tree.

"I don't understand. Why would we get into a fight?" I asked, suddenly moody.

"We've been over this." she said, sighing.

"Yes, we've been over you avoiding the subject. If you don't want to live with me, then say so, please." I said, bitterly. I was going to mention the fact that we were practically living together already, but I refrained from it.

She turned to me, her face serious, and her hands gripped my scarf. "That's not what I meant at all."

"Then why-"

"Let's just get this meeting over with, and then we'll see." she said, kissing me tenderly on the nose.

"Am I under probation?" I asked, a thought coming to my head. "Is that it? Do I have to prove that I really love you and want to spent the rest of my life with you? I know I messed up with the whole Hera thing, but I really do want to spent my life with you, you know?"

"I already said that's not it." she said, frowning. She was getting angry.

"Just say it clearly, would you? Because it looks completely like that."

"Fine." she said, sighing and getting her hands off my chest. She walked towards the Flooing point. The street was packed with early Christmas shoppers, and I had to hold her hand again to not get separated from her. "If you really want to know, I'm kind of afraid of my dad."

"What's that has to do with anything?" I spat.

"I…" she seemed contrite and painfully looked at me in the eye. "You don't get it. I want him to like you, he's my dad. And you are a Malfoy, and he's going to have a fit. I don't want to break his heart. And if he knows we are even thinking of moving in together _before_ getting married, he is sure to be very disappointed and everything would be a mess, and I don't want this to get ruined."

We were in front of the Flooing point, and she turned her whole body to me. Her eyes were pleading and I could see she had just said something she was not proud of. She was ashamed of acknowledging my last name was still and issue. But we could not deny it. For her family, my last name was an issue, and I was perfectly aware of it. I felt a pang of nervousness hit the pit of my stomach as I recalled what I had to do today. The morning sex had helped me relax a bit, and I had the delusion everything was going to go smoothly, and yet as I saw Rose's face, the dread feeling of failure once again assaulted me.

I reached out to her, and pulled her into my arms. I held her as close as our thick clothes permitted it and I kissed the top of her head. She shuddered and sighed onto my chest and I felt her relax again.

"Ok." I said, sighing too. "I get it. I'm sorry. I won't pressure you any longer." I felt a sudden uneasiness. It had never occurred to me that Rose refusing me was also an option. I had so much fear of confronting her father, that I didn't think of that possibility. It was going to be a tiresome Sunday.

"I didn't mean to say it like that." she said, hugging me tighter. "I just meant… I don't want my dad to have more reasons to hate you."

"I know." I said, kissing the top of her head again. "I understand."

After some minutes of talking reassurances to ourselves, we finally Flooded in. It had been five years since the last time I went to Godric's Hollow. Rose went every other Sunday to have dinner with her family, but she had refused to let me come along until now. Today we were going to break the news to her family that we were dating. She had prepared her mother and father with anticipation via owl for the last couple months. But her brother, her aunt and uncle, and her cousins (except for Albus) were all oblivious to the fact. I gulped down my nervousness as I came forward from the chimney. Rose was getting the ash out of her coat and smiling broadly at her mother that stood with open arms waiting for her.

"Oh, Rosie." she said, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad you two made it."

"Where is Dad?" asked Rose, for her father was not in the room, in fact, Mrs. Weasley was the only one here.

"He went with Harry to the office. Apparently they had an emergency in the morning, and had to go supervise some new recruits. But he called about an hour ago, he was already finishing the paperwork." her mother answered, producing some hot beverages. "And Hugo went with him. He got his Auror title some months back." she added to me.

"So we're all alone?" asked Rose.

"Oh, no." her mother said, sitting down in the living room and motioning for us to do the same. "Ginny, James and Lily are coming now. And your dad won't be long. Don't worry. The family gathering is still happening. You ought to give some important news today."

"Oh, mum. I wished you hadn't reminded us of that. I am truly afraid of what dad and Hugo would think of it." she said, holding my hand.

"I'm sure they'll understand." she said, simply. Her comment was cut short, for Albus came in through the front door. He held Valerie in his arms and quickly shut the door behind her as to not letting the snow in.

"Hello, Aunt Hermione." Albus said, kissing his aunt on the cheek. Valerie kiss her too, and then they proceeded in removing their coats.

"I thought you were coming in all together. What held you back?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, you know, stuff." Albus dismissed her with the wave of his hand. Rose snorted and was about to say something to incriminate his cousin, when the front door opened again.

Albus's mother, James and Lily came in, all greeting in a hurriedly way and getting the snow off their heads. The snow storm was starting to get thicker.

"Oi, what are you doing here?" asked me James in an unfriendly way.

"Oh, Scorpius!" said Mrs. Potter, who had not noticed I was in the room. "Long time no see. I didn't know you and Albus were still in contact with each other."

"Yes, we've been in contact since Hogwarts, mother." Albus answered for me.

"Actually…" Rose began. But her comment was also cut short because at that moment the chimney burned green, and a very tousled Hugo came through.

"Oh, sweetie!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, coming to her feet and Accioing a broom. "Go quickly, Hugo. You're messing my floor up. Please go and shower."

Hugo smirked at her, and leaving a mud trail he followed her mother's orders, greeting his family on the way to the shower. He looked at me in a funny way. My presence was sure something nobody was expecting and I felt completely unwelcome. I wished this evening would end soon.

Next Mr. Potter came through the chimney. His looks were not disheveled as Hugo's had been. He had his official robes on, but he looked clean and pristine, except for the sod that stuck to him while Flooing. He greeted Mrs. Weasley first, and then proceeded to hug and kiss his children. And when he came to me, he extended his hand with a surprised look on his face.

"Scorpius, what a surprise!"

"Yes, sir. I was invited today." I said, timidly.

"You're always invited." he said, with a smile.

"Actually, Uncle Harry-" began Rose. He turned to look at her with the smile still tugging his lips, and then he looked down to her hand and how she reached for mine. His smile faltered a little, and then realising what Rose was about to declare, he smiled more broadly. But her words again were cut short because for a third time, green flames erupted from the chimney and Mr. Weasley came in, proud and tall.

Mrs. Weasley quickly came round to hug him, and whispered something in his ear. Rose's father looked at my direction and grimaced, but ignored me almost completely after that. He went around hugging and kissing the rest of his family and then we settled on the living room: the parents asking questions to their children and the children relating the recent news of their lives. I could see Rose was as nervous as I was, and she was dreading the moment her turn came to answer questions. Even though she had tried to tell her family about us dating before, her resolve had wavered when her father came in.

"So, Rosie. Are you and Scorpius now best friends?" asked Hugo, who had just come down from the shower. Rose colored and her father was caught in a coughing frenzy.

"Actually…" she said in a small voice. "We…"

"We are dating." I said, hoping to alleviate her worries. I immediately felt embarrassed by my own words and looking at Rose's father I could see he was not really accepting of the idea.

"Since when?" asked Lily.

"We started going out about six months ago." she said.

"I didn't know you were still in contact." James said.

"Yes, how did it come about?" asked Albus's mother.

"Well…" Rose began, but she quickly fell silent. She was not comfortable saying we became in contact again because of my wedding with some other woman, and she was not fine with lying either.

"Because of me." Albus interrupted. "Scorpius came to the flat to see me, and he found Rose in there. He didn't know Rose lives there too."

"It must have been a surprise." Lily said, and giggled.

As I heard Lily's laugh I realised nobody seemed really surprised by the news, and the only ones that seemed repulsed by the idea were Hugo, James and Rose's father. Conversation returned to normal in a matter of moments, and by the time dinner was going to be served, Rose even had the courage of holding my hand and leaning towards me in a relaxed manner.

Dinner was served in a familiar way. James was making everyone laugh with his Quidditch anecdote about the time he felt off his broom at training, and Lily related her struggles at being the only woman working in her branch of the Magical Creatures department at the Ministry. And so dinner went by without incident. But as the courses were ending and dessert was being served, my nervousness began to swell inside the lower part of my belly again. Time was closing in.

Mrs. Weasley served coffee with the lemon tart that we were having and as she retired to the kitchen and Rose stood up to help her, I felt a strange surge of courage and opened my mouth without even thinking about it.

"Mr. Weasley, could we talk in private?" I asked. My question lingered in the still air. Everyone had turned their heads to me, and Rose's eyes were completely disbelieving. Even Mrs. Weasley had come back from the kitchen to see what was going on. Mr. Potter then cleared his throat, and patted Mr. Weasley on the back in a brotherly way.

"What's it about?" he asked, his features screwed with anger.

"I-I…" I stammered. "I would rather... talk in private."

"Ron…" Mrs. Weasley warned, her eyebrows raised and her voice disapproving, much as Rose's voice turned whenever I did something wrong.

"Fine!" he said, standing up from the table. "Follow me, boy!"

I followed him through the house and into the library. I had been there once before, when, so many years ago, Mrs. Weasley had asked us about the mysterious wand now tucked safely in my pocket. Mr. Weasley sat down in one of the armchairs and motioned for me to sit down facing him.

"So then, what's this about?" he said in an stern way. "Are you coming to ask permission to date her? It's already too late for that."

"Actually, I came here because," I squeezed the tiny box inside my trouser pocket. "I wanted to ask permission to marry her."

He sat really still. His face reddened and his eyes darted to my face in an instant. I could see he wanted to yell and I was not sure if I was to continue my speech or if I should've run away fast. I continued.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want to be completely honest with you, because she would have a broken heart if you don't give us your blessing."

"Did you already ask her?" he said, his anger not subsiding.

"Not yet, sir." I took the tiny box out from my pocket and showed him the diamond ring I had purchased some two months ago. "She is my life now, there was a time in which I thought being away from her was the best, as our relationship was not welcomed by either house, but I cannot be without her any longer. Even not being with her for just a second makes me anxious, and I live to see her smile-"

"So you just decided?" he interrupted, his anger still rising.

"Not just so…" I said, deciding in that moment that I would truthfully answer any questions he had prepared for me. "Due to some circumstances I realised I can't live without her. And about two months ago, I decided I wanted to marry her. I don't know if she'll say yes, and at this point, I doubt so, but I must try, for if she is not by my side from now on, I might as well die."

His anger seemed to be diminishing, his features relaxed some and he stayed quiet for some minutes. I could see him thinking as fast and hard as he could in the present instances, and yet he was carefully choosing his questions and considering me seriously.

"What kind of circumstances?" he finally asked, genuinely curious.

"Well," I gulped down my guilt and my nervousness. "Albus said we came together again because I went to see him. In truth I went to see him, because I asked him to be the best man at my own wedding. A wedding with another woman."

Mr. Weasley grimaced again, and his brows contracted in confusion and fury. I continued with my story as to explain myself properly.

"It was an arranged marriage, you see. It was one that had been cooked up by my father since I was 16. And I was foolish enough to dueled him for my freedom back then, and naturally I lost, so I had to marry. But I never stopped loving Rose, not for a minute, that's why I didn't finish Hogwarts."

"What?" Mr. Weasley said, his amazement evident. "What do you mean by not finishing Hogwarts?"

"I forgot you didn't know." I said, reddening and feeling even guiltier than before. "Rose and I kind of...fell in love when we were 16. We were together for half a year before my arranged marriage, and when I found out about it, I tried to break it off with her, seeing as I couldn't stay with her for ever. But as long as I stayed in Hogwarts it proved impossible to be away from her, I loved her so even then. And then I turned 17 and summer came, so I decided not to come back. I thought at the time it was the noble thing to do."

"Oh, sodding hell." Rose's father exclaimed, his hand on his forehead and his free hand supporting himself in the armchair. I could see this was not something pleasant to be informed about. "Are you telling me, all the time while you were here that Christmas, you two…"

"Yes." I simply said.

"Oh, fucking hell." he said again, rage filling his features. "How dare you, you little shit. If my little girl weren't in the next room, I would have murdered you already. You do understand I have a license to kill dark wizards, and you bare the Malfoy name? Making you seem like a dark wizard wouldn't be a problem."

Even though his words were murderous, his rage was subsiding, and his brows were knitting themselves together deeper by the second. He was thinking about what else he was missing.

"Who knew about this?"

"Just Albus. And he didn't know enough. He didn't exactly know what we were or what was happening. And we weren't together in the five years since I left Hogwarts to six months ago that I saw her again."

He fell silent once again. I was letting him process everything in its due time. I wanted Rose's father to fully know the circumstances, to fully understand my character, and to fully be aware of my true feelings for Rose. Then I could hope for him to give us his blessing.

"Ok. Hold on a second." he said, calmer than before. In that moment I thought Rose didn't give him enough credit. She had always portrayed him as a passionate, jealous, angry man, and yet here I was relating my true relationship with his daughter and he was calmly talking to me. "You said you had to marry this other woman because of a duel. But you didn't…"

"I was too afraid to confront my father about it again," I felt suddenly ashamed for confessing that out loud. Even though it was the truth, I had never phrased it in that way before. "But when Rose came to the Manor and I realised I had never loved anyone else, for I was still waiting for her, then I understood that I couldn't marry anyone else, especially not one that my father had chosen for me and one for which I didn't even care about. After some serious consideration and seeing how broken we both were, I challenged my father into a duel again. The wedding had already started and I almost died because of the curse, but I stood my ground until finally I was liberated. It was all because of her, and even if the outcome hadn't been like that, I would have died willingly for not being able to be with her was just as cruel as dying."

"You challenged your father and almost died…?" he asked, his eyes seriously considering me.

"I did, sir. Until this day my father has not forgiven me. He ignores me, and I no longer have a right to the Malfoy money or legacy, for he has disowned me. My mother still bids for me, and she insists I should live in the Manor until I marry, but to my father I am no longer his son. He is a proud man but a good one, so I believe he'll come round in some years, but for the mean time, he acts as if I didn't exists."

Mr. Weasley was silent for a very long time. His face was no longer angry and he went from seriousness to compassion to disgust to every range of emotion in the span of twenty minutes. I patiently waited for him to process my request and my story, and then as his face looked resigned and beaten he spoke again.

"You have been honest with me, so I'll be honest with you too." he said, standing up from his armchair. I did the same. "I like you. If you weren't a Malfoy I would have very much liked you as a friend of my children from the very beginning. You are noble and good, and I admire those qualities. But you have to understand that as my son-in-law I will hate you forever. Don't make her cry, or else I'll stop liking you completely." he extended his hand to me, his face serious and his stance towering over me.

"I understand. I wouldn't have expected more." I smiled broadly, my chest heaving with relief and happiness. I shook his hand immediately. And that was the last time we discussed about the matter. He motioned for me to get out of the room, and we went into the dining room, where everyone enquired about our meeting at once.

"It's fine, I didn't murder him, did I?" Mr. Weasley said, hugging Rose and kissing her on the forehead. Everyone laughed in a nervous manner, and then we retired into the living room once again and sat down to chat a little more. We made small talk until the clock struck ten and everyone started leaving. First James and Lily, then Albus and Valerie, and then Rose and I.

We Flooed into Diagon Alley. By that time, the shops were already closed and although the Christmas lights were still turned on, the streets were empty from shoppers and meddlers. I couldn't stop grinning, not after my satisfying conversation with Mr. Weasley and as I was in high spirits I decided it was not worth it to waste anymore time.

"Let's linger here for a bit." I said, tugging at her hand to slow her pace.

"What are you talking about? It's freezing." she said, covering her mouth with her scarf.

"I know, but Albus and Valerie are going to be at it again, and I want to talk to you in peace for a little bit." I said, leading her to the huge Christmas tree. "Let's look at the lights you like so much."

"Oh, alright." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "But tell me, what did you and my dad talked about?"

"I secured him about my intentions with you." I said, feeling the tiny box inside my trouser pocket.

"Your intentions?"

"Yes, you know. About me being serious and securing him that you were not my plaything." I said, hugging her by the shoulders to kiss her nose.

"Please tell me you didn't use that term." she said, disgust in her face.

"Don't worry about it anymore. It went well."

"And what else?" she asked, turning towards me and adjusting her scarf as to cover her red nose. "You were there for almost an hour."

"You are really nosy today, my love." I looked into her eyes deeply. I was not sure how to proceed and I was starting to waver.

"Oh, Scorpius, just spit it out, will you? What did you really talk about?"

"You know," I said changing the subject. "about us moving in together. I know I pressure you too much about it, but I want you all to myself. I want a home with you and just you and our future children and our cat."

"A cat? You asked him if we could move in together, didn't you?" she said, worry and apprehension reigning her features.

"Not exactly…" It was then or never. I let go of her hand and I took out the box. She saw it and gasped, her eyes opening as big as plates. I went down in one knee and opened the box before her. "I asked him for his blessing and he consented it. I want you forever, Rose. Please, do me the honor of being my wife."

"Is this because I refused to move in with you if we were not married?" she said, apprehension returning to her face. "Because if it is, then I...That's not a reason to...If you are not sure, you musn't…"

"That has nothing to do with this. Of course I want to live with you and have sex with you. But it's more than that. Don't you realise that I love you?" I said, fear creeping desperately into my chest. My knee was buried deep in the snow and a shiver ran through my spine.

"Then why did you said that? Why did you bring up the moving in together thing?!" she said, panic seeping through her mind. "And that about wanting me all to yourself, what's that suppose to mean?"

"That I love you!"

"That's like the worst proposal ever!"

"I was nervous! I didn't want you to refuse me!"

She dropped to her knees in front of me, and tackled me with a hug. Both of us fell into the snow, the box flying and landing some paces to my right. She was clinging to me and I could hear her crying onto my chest.

"I would never refuse you!" she cried. "I want to be your wife!"

I felt the world being lifted off my shoulders and as I hugged her back, my back soaked and my hands clenching her coat, I let my tears run down. Rose Weasley was going to be my wife.

After some minutes of crying and laughing and trying to stand up from the snow, we managed to get the box with the ring back, and I placed it delicately on her finger. She smiled at me, and then at the ring, and then she laughed with delight.

"Let's not tell our future children about our mild panic attack at the proposal." I said, holding her hand firmly in mine, and tugging her to the flat.

"I think it's part of our charm, Scor. We would never be like those cutesy couples. And I just love that about us." she said, squeezing my hand and giggling.

"Now let's hurry home, we need to fully celebrate our engagement, and you still owe me an orgasm." she said, glee and fire burning in her eyes.


	20. Chapter 20: The Pieces that Fitted Toget

Chapter 20: The Pieces that Fitted Together

I woke up with the sun in my eyes. I had not closed the curtains the night before, and as I opened my eyes, the sun blinded me. It was also very hot in the room. Roxy had pushed all the covers in my direction and as it was the middle of summer, I was sweating profusely. On my other side, Lily had her leg wrapped around mine and it was really heavy. She was snoring. I turned to look at the clock at the bedside table: 8:00 a.m. We were already running late.

We had had a lot of margaritas and piñas coladas the night before (Roxy had insisted upon it), and I could feel my head aching and my whole body heavily complaining as I move out of bed.

"What's going on?" Roxy asked groggily.

"We are late!" I said, panic starting to flow to my stomach. "We were suppose to arrive at the Burrow half an hour ago!"

"Shh!" Lily said, turning in the bed to face the wall. "You're too loud."

"For fuck's sake." I said, pulling the covers from under Lily, and making her fall off the bed. "You are suppose to be the maids of honour and you promised mum I was going to be there on time!"

"We still have plenty of time, girl. Relax." Roxy declared, getting finally up from the bed. She went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

"Are you showering?" I asked from the other side of the door. "Maybe I'm the one who's supposed to shower first."

"No, you're showering last." Lily said, standing up from the floor and heading into the closet. "Where's your gown?"

"It's at the Burrow. I told granny I was getting change there."

"I don't get why, really. It would have been spectacular if we were the only ones to see you before the ceremony. That way everyone would have gasped at you." she said, getting hers and Roxy's grey dresses from the closet. I particularly chose that color because they were the exact match to Scorpius's eyes. I was becoming a pathetic fool in love, but I had the right since it was my wedding day.

"Because mum and granny asked me to. They wanted to help me get ready too." I said, sitting on the bed to admire the dresses.

"And are you completely ready?" Lily asked, setting the dresses on the bed beside me and grinning.

"Yes. I think so…" I said tentatively. "We had everything ready for the last month or so."

"That's not what I meant." she said, looking at me in the eye. "Are you waxed and clean?"

"Lily! Merlin! That's none of your business." I said, turning red. "But if you must know, I am…"

She squealed with delight, and then sat down beside me on the bed, giggling like mad.

"Scorpius would be so excited." she said, imagining all in her mind's eye. "I bet he would be a mess. I bet he will cry!"

"He'll be excited, all right." I said, turning scarlet. Lily watched my expression carefully and then said:

"Oh, why are you blushing like that? It's not like you two hadn't had sex yet. I mean, you were practically living together before Albus's wedding! And you could have move in with him after Albus kicked you out of the flat."

"It's not about having sex!" I defended myself, and then I sighed. I might as well tell her. "Well, it is. But it's not exactly as you think."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well," I began, feeling a bit ashamed. "We haven't had sex since Albus got married."

"What?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Explain yourself." Roxy said from the bathroom door. She was sporting only a towel and looking at me with bewildered eyes. "That was two months ago! And we know you two, you emanate a sex aura!"

"I panicked, alright!" I said to them. "You said it, Lily. We were practically living together and I was afraid nothing was going to change after the wedding, and I was freaking out because I felt at the time that maybe it was a mistake to give him access to everything before he had the right. You know, like practically living together and having sex two, three times a day, and we were basically already married!"

"What's wrong with that?" Roxy asked.

"I don't know. I just felt we needed some space to fully enjoy being married." I said, timidly. "Plus, I kept imagining my dad delivering me at the altar and my white dress and how disappointed he was going to be with me not marrying as a virgin."

"Nobody's a virgin at her wedding day, sweetie." Roxy said, pitying me.

"That's why you moved back in with your parents after Albus got married?" Lily asked.

"Yes." I said. "So, yeah, Scorpius is certainly excited for today."

"Poor bloke." Lily said. And then she smirked. "Then, why don't you have some fun with him today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tease him a little bit. Make him randy at the wedding, say sexy things to him, and then walk away. I bet he would be desperate at the end of the day."

"I don't know…" I said. I was feeling guilty already for refusing him sex for two months.

"I think it would be fun." Roxy declared. "You can show him a little bit of cleavage while dancing, or take your underwear off and shove it in his pocket at the dinner party. I don't know, make him want you even more."

"I'll think about it." I said, finally and then hurried Lily into the shower so we could get going to the Burrow.

About an hour later, we Apparated into the Burrow's garden. Hugo, James and Fred were all there, preparing the setting. Fred was levitating a huge flowered arch while James was instructing him were to place it. Hugo doing the same with the tables and chairs. They waved at us when we went through and Fred called:

"How's it looking, Rosie?"

"Brilliant, Fred." I declared. It was really becoming brilliant. A big white tent was covering the most part of the enlarged garden and the flowers were precious, I could imagine it already and I was getting even more excited than before.

"For Merlin's sake, Rose! Where were you?" mum said on my way to what was Aunt Ginny's childhood bedroom. She pulled me into the room and closed the door behind her. Aunt Ginny, granny, Roxy, Lily, Dominique and Victoire were all there, helping me get ready. I sat down in a chair in front of the mirror and let them do everything. Mum made my hair slick and smooth and did it into a formal bun with flowers. Lily and Aunt Ginny did my makeup, it was very natural and light. And then I put on my wedding gown. Victoire and Dominique were fixing the back laces while the others helped me into my shoes and did the final touches to my hair.

Finally, after some hours of getting dress and everyone freaking out and not eating anything, I was ready. The guests started to arrived and I instantly felt a pang of nervousness invade my stomach. I looked at myself at the mirror, I looked as a bride, and I was scared.

Mum and granny hugged me tight and said I looked beautiful. And then we all proceeded downstairs where a more hectic energy was flowing. People were still getting dress: Fred and James were trying to knot their ties, dad was frantically straightening his robes, Aunt Fleur was looking for a missing earring, and Aunt Angelina still had her shoes in her hand while nagging at Uncle George for not taking off his Weasley Wizard Wheezes t-shirt.

When I finally stepped into the landing, everyone exclaimed and sighed. I was instantly embraced by my whole family, and the urgency and freaking out was soothed for a bit. After some minutes everyone started going out, and dad and I were left alone in awkward silence. I could hear the guests talking in the garden, and my dad came up to me.

"Daddy, have the people arrived yet?" I asked, clenching onto his arm.

"Yes." he said, placing his hand over mine. I could see his eyes watered. "Albus and Scorpius were entertaining the guests while we waited for you."

"Are you ok with this?" I asked. He groaned.

"I…" he looked at me, and his eyes were flooding, nevermind watering. "I guess there's no helping it."

"You'll like him, I promise."

"That's not the problem, sweetie." he said, sighing. His hair was tousled and I could see red markings all over his face. He had not cried only just now, I could tell he had been crying since morning. "He's taking my little girl away from me."

"Don't worry, daddy. I'll never be taken away from you. I'll always be your little girl. And even if you don't see me around as much, remember I'll be just an owl away." I said, tears running down my cheeks.

"Oh, Merlin! Don't ever let that bastard hurt you, Rosie. You're too much for that guy." he said, squeezing my hand and finally reaching the door. It was time to go out and face the music, and we were both crying like crazy.

"Dad. Thanks for everything. For giving Scorpius a chance, and for making me who I am. I love you." I said, hugging him hurriedly. He sniffed into my hair and hugged me back as hard as he could. We lingered there for some minutes, until somebody came and knocked on the door in front of us.

Albus opened the door, and he was startled by seeing us both standing there and crying into each other's arms. "Ehr, Uncle Ron-we're waiting."

"Yes," he said, separating from me, and placing my hand back into his arm. Albus handed him his handkerchief and I pulled the veil over my flushed face. Dad blew into the hankie and then, giving his sullen face and his serious stance, he pulled me out the door.

The first glance I had from Scorpius was from far away, people stood up from their seats at either side of the aisle, he was right at the altar, and I could just make out his face from that distance. But with every step, his face was becoming clearer and his expression was tender and full of emotion. He had to look down for some moments, and wiped his eyes with his thumb, and then he looked right back at me. His sleek white hair was combed back, his black robes were perfect, and his ever eternal grey eyes were the most gentle I had ever seen them.

"You're perfect" he whispered to me while holding my hand from my dad's grasp. He smiled back at my dad, and he patted his back in an affectionate way. We faced the minister and the ceremony began.

"You look good yourself." I whispered back. He squeezed my hand and I felt a slight tremor on the back of my stomach. Was I getting excited in a place and at a time like this? Seeing Scorpius like that was making me want him, and I was afraid I might not last till night.

Once the ceremony had ended and everyone had risen to their feet and applauded and the photographs were taken, I was dying to get Scorpius away for a bit and snog him senseless. And as I was about to whisper to him for us to get out of there, my mum and Roxy came and ushered me away again into Aunt Ginny's old room.

"Oh, dear." exclaimed my mother, "I forgot the short dress on the other room."

"Roxy," I began, once mum was out of earshot. "I might not be able to do it. You know, the teasing. I want him right now."

Roxy laughed. "Chill, girl. I'm sure you will be able to get away for a bit after the first dance." But we had no time to even discuss a plan, when my mum entered the room again, carrying the short white dress I was going to wear at the party. We quickly put it on, and then we hurried back into the garden where the party was going to take place. I could see Scorpius at a distance, talking with some of the guests. Albus was right beside him, and Valerie was a few steps behind him, talking to Lily. I made my way to them, but before I had even reached him, somebody was urging us into the white tent and pushing us to the middle of it.

"I guess this is the first dance." he said, kissing me on the nose and pulling me closer to him so we could get in position for dancing.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." I whispered. Scorpius laughed. "I wish things could slow down for a bit."

"I get what you mean." he said, moving to the rhythm of the song. "But I guess that's how this things are."

"I'm just glad I'm doing this with you." I said, matter-of-factly.

"And I'm glad I get to do this with you for the rest of my life." he declared, pulling me even closer and resting chin on the top of my head. I could have melt right there from love.

"You know," I said, gaining confidence. "We should sneak out for a little while before dinner."

Scorpius laughed out loud. I could feel the guests watching us and I instantly felt embarrassed. But at the same time, that glorious laugh of his was making the butterflies on my stomach erupt. I definitely needed him inside me.

"Don't say that," he said, getting his chin away from my head so he could see my face. "or I'll take your word for it."

"Good. Because I need you."

"Oh, Rose," he sighed, his breathing becoming ragged. I could hear the need in his voice too. "Do you have any idea how desperate I have been. I'm glad we are getting married today, because you won't be able to get away from me anymore."

I laughed out loud then. He was certainly already desperate, there was no need to tease him. I felt a little guilty for refusing him for two months. But I was sure the wait was going to be worthwhile.

"I'm so-" I was not able to even finish apologizing because he kissed me hard on the mouth. His tongue darted inside my mouth and I could feel his eagerness pressing against my whole body. I was about to deepen the kiss, when he pulled back. I whimpered. He laughed again.

"Not here, Mrs. Malfoy." he said, smirking. "If we kiss like that I might not contain myself and your father is looking at me with murder in his eyes."

The song ended, and we were free to roam around and talk to the guests. I pulled Scorpius towards the house, but people kept interrupting us. Some friends of his from the Ministry came to us to congratulate us, and they were endlessly talking about the many good features of the wedding.

"That was Peterson." he said, when the obliviators had gone away. "He was at the wedding at the Manor, too. He's a tool."

"Why did you invited him again?" I asked.

"Well, he's a nosy tool. I don't know how he finds out about stuff and invites himself into everything." Scor said, rolling his eyes.

"Oi, Rosie, Scorpius." Uncle Percy then intercepted us. He shook Scorpius's hand and kissed me on the cheek. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Uncle Percy." I said.

"Scorpius, I wanted to talk to you before, but you were busy earlier." he said, looking serious.

"Is it about the interview?" Scorpius asked, his face lighting up.

"Yes." continued Uncle Percy. "I don't understand why was your earlier application rejected. A year ago you were recommended with great regard by a Mr. Burke, but then he withdrew the application."

"That was Hera's father." Scorpius said to me.

"Yes." said Uncle Percy. "And when I showed this to the Minister, he was shocked. With your performance as an obliviator and your high markings in every inspection, you should have been given the opportunity to advance into whatever path you chose. And yet it appeared to have been blocked. I can only guess Mr. Burke made sure you stayed as an obliviator for a long time."

"Oh, no!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, but don't worry about it." Uncle Percy reassured. "The Minister wanted me to make sure you had the path free to transfer into any department you wanted."

"Seriously?" Scorpius asked, his face still lively and hopeful.

"Yes, yes." Uncle Percy smirked too. He was always eager to help others. "Now, for what you have told me, you wanted to be an Unspeakable, considering the Time department, am I right?"

"Oh, yes! It has been my dream for a long time."

"You do understand that for being an Unspeakable you must face various tests and study a great deal, right? And you cannot become one right away, you must firstly study for two years to even attempt to get into the Time room."

"I understand, and I must say, I am eager to begin." he said, squeezing my hand with emotion.

"Then I'll talk to the Minister, and I can recommend for you to be transfer into the Department of Mysteries. But we can talk about the peculiars once you've come back from your honeymoon." said Uncle Percy, shaking Scorpius's hand again. And then, kissing me again, he excused himself and went into the party to meet with Aunt Audrey.

"I can't believe it!" said Scorpius, tugging my hand and walking towards the Burrow. I had believed that with the excitement of his life-long dream he had forgotten about having a quick shag before dinner, but apparently he was still up for it.

"I can't believe that man had the nerve of preventing your promotion!" I said, bitterly.

"I don't blame him." Scorpius simply said, his face falling a little.

"He should be grateful his daughter didn't marry someone she was not in love with." I said, reaching the back door to the Burrow's kitchen. But when we entered the house, somebody was already at the kitchen and walking towards the door.

"Father." Scorpius said, surprised.

"Hello, son." he said, a pinkish color filling his face and ears. "I was…"

"Where's mother?" Scorpius asked. "I thought you guys were not coming."

"Your mother...she…"

"Why don't you talk inside? In the living room, perhaps?" I offered. It was kind of painful to see them both standing there. When they had sat down, Scorpius in an armchair, his father in a loveseat, I said:

"I'll leave you to talk."

"Don't go." Scorpius urged me. "Please stay."

I sat down beside him on the armrest of his armchair, and holded his hand, smiling.

"Very well."

"Why are you here?" Scorpius asked. "You made perfectly clear I was no longer your son."

"I…"

"You said you'll never forgive me if I didn't marry Hera, and you said-"

"I know what I said." his father intervened.

"Have you changed your mind?" Scorpius asked, his voice serious and grave.

"I…" Scorpius's father was at a loss for words. He seemed considering what to say and he had this painful expression written all over his face. "I wanted to see you getting married."

"Oh." Scorpius said. He was not expecting that answer.

"Your mother and I came here when the ceremony had already started. She went out to see it, but I stayed here. For some reason I couldn't get out." his father said, his eyes roaming the place, unable to look at his son. "I am proud of you."

"Dad, I know I did something you were against to. But I did what I felt was right and-"

"There's no need for that. I understand." he said, his eyes to the floor and his ears turning red once again. "I've had some time to think about that. And I'll tell you the truth, your choice of bride was not shocking, although it was controversial, never in the Malfoy family had we married with someone that was not a pureblood."

At his words, Scorpius was about to retort. But I held his hand tightly and made him stop. I guessed his father was still not finished, and I wanted him to hear the whole speech before actually getting angry and answering in a way that was going to hurt their relationship even more.

"But after some time, I realised it didn't matter." Mr. Malfoy concluded. "You are my son, and I wanted to see you marry, and if you were to choose a family to get married into, I'm actually glad you chose the Weasleys. We have had our differences, but at the present time, I consider them with a high regard and I pride myself in knowing them.

"Granger and- I mean, Hermione and Ron had always treated me with respect and had given me a second chance when not many people had. And not coming to the wedding would have been a complete disregard to them. So…"

"It's fine, father." Scorpius said, standing up. "You don't have to say anything else."

He went to him and hugged him. Mr. Malfoy was surprised and moved and I had never seen a more sincere smile in my life. He hugged his son with as much force, and blinking rapidly he tried to ride the tears away. He stood up from the loveseat then, and came up to me. I could see he was going to apologize, but he was again embarrassed and at a loss for words, so I hugged him instead. He sighed from relief, and then congratulated us for the marriage.

"Oh, there you are!" my mum came into the living room just as Mr. Malfoy was leaving. I had thought for a moment we would be able to escape for a while after all. "Draco, I didn't know you were here. Dinner is about to be served, please come to the garden."

"Ah," Mr. Malfoy said, smiling to my mum. "Thank you, Granger."

"Will you stop calling me that? I have been a Weasley for 25 years now." my mum said, laughing.

"It's a habit, I guess." Scorpius's dad laughed too, and then my mum and him talked their way into the garden.

"Do you think we could have a quick shag now?" Scorpius asked, turning towards me with fire in his eyes.

"I think they are waiting for us to serve dinner." I said, placing my hands on his chest. He pulled me closer by my waist so I could be completely flat against him. I felt his erection poking my stomach.

"Why are you like that? We haven't done anything!"

"It's your fault! I haven't had release in so long!" he hugged me tightly, resting his chin on top of my head again and whimpering.

"Oh, poor thing. We can fix that in an instant." but just as I was getting into my playful mood, somebody opened the door again.

"Rosie, we're waiting for you." Albus poked his head in, and seeing we were both in the living room, he came in. "Dinner is about to be served."

"Yes, we're coming." I said tugging Scorpius's hand, but he didn't budge. "Scor?"

"I need a few minutes." he said, turning to face the wall instead of Albus.

Albus laughed and said: "I'll tell them you'll be right out."

"Ah, don't say anything!" Scorpius said, urgently. "Rose, you go out. I don't need another reason for your father to murder me."

After that, it was impossible not to think about sex. At dinner, Scorpius kept resting his hand over my thigh and I was dying for him to push it a little farther up and touch me. While dancing I could feel his long shaft being rubbed towards me, and he kept brushing his hand over my ass. Once he tried to whisper something in my ear, and his hot breath sent chills to my spine. By the time we were saying goodbye to the guests my panties were drenched and I was practically molesting him, my hand over his crotch whenever we were sitting down.

"Rosie, baby." he said, squeezing my hand over his crotch and pushing it over his hard shaft. "Please hold on for a little bit more. If you start touching me like that I'll be tempted to just snatch you away."

"Oh, please do!" I whispered, as some more of our relatives were coming our way to say good bye. We stood up, and went to meet them, and saying our goodbyes and kissing and hugging, they went away. "I need you."

"You'll be the death of me, woman." Scorpius growled. He took my hand in his and walked decisively towards the Burrow. I could hear some of my cousins asking where we were going, but none of the adults seemed to care. And when we were right at the kitchen door, Albus came towards us.

"Oh, is this real?" I asked him.

"Relax, cousin." Albus said, grinning. "I just came to give you this." He handed Scorpius a key with a red lace attached to it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's the key to your flat." he said naturally.

"Albus, I already have a key to my own flat! I got them two months ago when I moved in!" Scorpius was as irritated as I was. We needed to have sex asap.

"Yes, I know." Albus said, smirking. "But I borrowed it from you in the morning."

"I'm not following. Please just spill it, and do it quick, we are in a hurry,"

"Oh, ew, ok." Albus said with mixed feelings. "I gave the key to Valerie this morning. She prepared a surprise for you, you know we are newlyweds and we don't have a lot of money, so she said that ought to count as a gift. I didn't want to know so I didn't ask what she did, but I guess it's your wedding suite. We couldn't let you spend your wedding night at the Burrow. Too many ears, man."

Scorpius hugged him, and then pulled me inside the house. He climbed the stairs two at a time, tugging me behind him. We went into one of the second floor bedrooms, the one that was supposed to be ours, and Scorpius took out the two suitcases that contained our change of clothes.

"I know everybody wanted us to spend the night and have breakfast all together in the morning, but, baby, Albus is right, too many ears." he said, a suitcase in each hand. "And I really want to make love to you and I love it when you're loud."

I gulped. "I understand."

"If we Apparate now, we can let Albus explain." he said, a grin making its way to his face.

"I understand." I repeated.

"Grab onto my arm." I did. And I instantly felt a tug behind my belly botton. And just like that, in a split second we were in front of his flat. The flat that since that day was mine too. Home.

I had no time to even get my feet safely planted on the floor, before Scorpius tugged me towards the door. He opened the door while clenching my hand and still holding the two suitcases. As the door opened, he pushed the suitcases in, and swooped me off my feet too carry me through the threshold. But his gentlemanliness was just the product of his horniness, as he immediately turned into the bedroom, still bearing me in his arms, and when we went in, we had no time to admire the room.

He just threw me over the mattress, and although I could see Valerie had made some kind of heart with rose petals, I just pushed the covers out of the way. Candles were also placed in the room, but as they were waiting for us to get home, they were out. I guessed Scorpius should have had to lit them once we were here, but as neither him or me had the patience nor the time, we just ignored them.

He jumped over me, his robes already discarded on the floor. I tugged and unbuttoned his shirt, and he was frantically looking for a zipper or something to get the dress off me.

"You have to untie the lace." I laughed. I stood up from the bed and showed him my back.

"For fuck's sake!" I heard him mutter something else, and in that instant, all the lace came loose and the dress fell down on the bed. He did it by magic.

"That's cheating!"

"That's being a wizard," he said, with a triumphant voice. "turn around."

I faced him. I was almost naked without the dress. Only my panties were still in place. He looked at me up and down, not able to contain his smile. He caressed my breasts with utmost delicacy, and licking his lips he said:

"You're perfect, Mrs. Malfoy."

"And you're still clothed, Mr. Malfoy." I said, giggling. He tugged at his shirt and discarded it on the floor, and quickly proceeded to unfasten his slacks. I grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him over the bed.

"I love you." I said, kissing his torso while straddling him. I heard him murmur his response, but was already getting lost in the pleasure. I could feel his penis hard and ready between my thighs. I kept trailing kisses down his front and then I arrived at the elastic of his pants. I pulled them down and was instantly greeted with the sight of his member fully erected.

"You're ready." I said, and licked the top. His eyes opened fiercely and he sat up on the bed.

"Don't." he warned. "I won't last long."

"Good. I want you to cum." I said, licking the top again.

But he pulled me towards him, crashing my mouth furiously with his and inserting his tongue with passion. He fumbled with my breasts for a little bit, and then pushed me towards the mattress. He ripped my panties off me, and kissing my belly button, he inserted a finger in my pussy.

"Oh, Merlin!" I said, my insides clenching with pleasure. "Fuck, Scor, don't stop."

He licked my clitoris and then sucked it, while inserting another finger. What was I thinking in refusing sex from this man? He knew how to pleasure me in every sense of the word, and I came almost immediately with the thought of us doing this for the rest of our lives fresh in my mind.

"That was fast, baby." he said, hovering over me. "Are you ready for round two?"

"Oh, fuck, Scor, please." I panted, the bliss still lingering in my body.

"I love you so much, Rosie." he said, resting his forehead over mine, and watching my eyes up close. "I fucking love you so much, you are my fucking life, my everything. And if I ever say something different, then curse me as hard as you can because it means I have completely lost my mind."

"Just get in, you prat!" I giggled.

He did. His penis entered me all the way, and I grasped from the mild pain and the sense of fullness that assaulted me. He started rocking inside me, and I could feel his shaft hitting the right spot every time. I was still sensible from my first orgasm and I could feel the next one approaching at a high speed. But just as I climaxed, tears sprang from my eyes, and I openly started crying. I loved that fucking prat so much, and I was the happiest woman alive.

In a matter of seconds I felt Scorpius's juices spill inside me and he let his whole body relax and fell on top of me. We stayed like that for some minutes, our bodies calming and our emotions settling. He turned his head to look at me, and saw my tears with preoccupation.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No!" I said, a little too harshly. "I'm just extremely happy."

He kissed my eyes and rolled onto his back. He pulled me close to him so my head rested over his chest. We were still trying to catch our breath, and his chest was heaving.

"Thank you for being my wife, Rosie." he said after some minutes. "Thank you for loving me so much, even after...everything."

"There was never a doubt. I knew since the beginning that I was going to love you until the end, no matter what." I said, trailing the lines of his abdomen with the tip of my finger.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he said, sighing.

"You loved me. And that is enough."

In that moment, I felt complete. He grazed my hair slowly, until we both fell asleep with the promise of the best future right ahead of us.

 **A/N: Well, hello! This was the very last chapter to this story. I had tons of fun writing this and I poured my heart into it! This is by far the longest story I've written and I can tell you I'll write some other long stories in the near future. Thank you for reading it till the very end and bearing with my grammar and spelling mistakes. English is not my first language (I'm a native spanish speaker) so if some things seemed a little odd, please forgive me. I also wanted to thank the following people for reviewing and eagerly waiting for my updates:**

 **DutchScorRosefan**

 **susiequeen300**

 **Bossman 17**

 **Sroman**

 **Orion**

 **baronnis**

 **Ladderandsteps**

 **RosieWM**

 **LillyMay77**

 **ngraysmith1**

 **JennyTodorova**

 **Thank you so much for being such good reviewers and helping me with my writing and motivation! I'll count on you all to read my future stories and be as good to me as you were in this one. And I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing. Thank you!**

 **Goodbye.**

 **-ShellCottage**


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